Leading from the front issuu

ABU: THE
BACKSTORY
Abu is the name given to Pat by his
brother-in-law Pat O’Donnell, the
same brother-in-law who built 3
Whakarire Avenue. Abu is abbreviated
from Abou Ben Adhem, a poem
by Leigh Hunt, which in the first line
reads, ‘May his tribe increase!’ A reference
to the number of children that
Pat had sired, no doubt.
ABU PAT — A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
by newphew tom o’donnell
When I was quite young, around 10, ‘Abu’ and the Magill
family clan came to stay. Pat had caught a baby wild pig
on the drive over, which was named Squeak and it was
received with much rejoicing.
Soon after there was a knock at the door which I answered,
it was a very tall policeman.
He came in and said a piglet had been stolen from Mt
Messenger and the car number plate belonged to Pat,
from there it was somehow tracked down to our address.
A phone discussion with the farmer was had and money
changed hands for Squeak, who kept the look of a
wild pig and had many happy years of back scratches,
piglets and supplied many pork chops, etc.
Abu brought a game over from Hawke’s Bay with
him called “The Hop”. You had to jump on one leg, then
shoulder charge the opponent to make them stand on
two legs. Pat was very nimble but my youth got the better
of him and with a crash he was toppled and we didn’t
Hop again.
We had a holiday trip to Puketitiri, arriving in the Hickeys
big car. We saw glow worms in Ball’s Clearing, I saw
my first helicopter, an eel was caught and Jesma had a
loose tooth.
There was a photo of Abu with a huge tuna which
was almost as big as him, a huge thing, caught from the
beach.
Michael and I went on a walk around Lake Waikaremoana,
where camps were set up. I remember we ate a
lot of corn and Michael was homesick.
Abu came and we visited the Hickeys. There were always
big political debates, National vs Labour. This time
the debate was on User Pays. “Jim,” Pat said. “A poor elderly
woman in the autumn years of her life, hobbling
down the road needing a hip operation. After all she has
done for the country, she can’t afford this operation. Will
you let her die in pain?”
The last tall Kauri in the forest, still walking. Abu, a
man of the people.
Above left, painting of Mt Taranaki by John Ruth; Above right: Staunch O’Donnell nephews in Napier for Pat’s 93rd; from left, Hugh,
Michael, Tom and Kevin.
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A big presence in our lives