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Chapter One
Missie
“I feel I should warn you,” Juliette announces, “Alex Winters is the grumpiest guy in the history of the universe. Just so you know.”
It’s Friday the seventeenth of March, and we’re walking past Hagley Park in Christchurch with the River Avon on our right, and beyond it the large gray buildings of Christchurch Hospital. A coxed four shell passes us, the rowers pulling hard on the oars, and a punter in traditional Edwardian costume steers two tourists through a flock of mallard ducks. Weeping willows trail their fingers in the water, and autumn leaves flutter down from the tall oaks.
I’m too anxious to enjoy the scenery, though, and say, “I wish you’d told me that before I signed Finn up for the program.”
“Oh, don’t let it put you off. Alex is gorgeous, and he’s a genius—just a grouchy one. He’s like a mixture of James Bond, Stephen Hawking, and Scrooge.”
I try to imagine the combination and fail. “I wish you hadn’t told me that. I was already nervous.”
“Aw, no need to be. Don’t worry about the interview. It’s almost a done deal, as long as you don’t do anything crazy to frighten him off.”
“Oh God. Now I’m terrified.”
She laughs and links arms with me. “Come on, I’m teasing you. How can he fail to love you? I don’t know a single person who doesn’t think you’re amazing.”
Well, I can think of one. How sad is it that I was married to him?
“Mind you,” she says, “I rarely see Alex show interest in a woman. He’s not dated for ages. Sometimes I wonder if he’s like a Ken doll down below.”
That makes me laugh. Juliette Kumar is of Maori-Indian descent, taller than me, and slender, with long dark hair, light-brown skin, and attractive dark eyes. She has a Maori tattoo on her arm and a red bindi between her eyebrows, and she’s an intriguing blend of both cultures, while also being a modern Kiwi girl.
I met her at Christchurch Hospital when my son’s physiotherapist first suggested he might be a good candidate for a new program nicknamed The Hands-On Robot or THOR for short. Kia Kaha—Maori for ‘stay strong’—is a company formed by a group of friends who invented an exoskeleton to help people with spinal column injuries to walk. They’ve recently developed a smaller model for children, and they’re looking for volunteers to take part in a series of trials.
Eager to help Finn any way I can, I put him forward for it, although I haven’t told him yet. I don’t want to get his hopes up until we’ve been given the green light. Being told you’ll probably never walk again at the age of ten is hard enough without being given false hope.
I’ve become friends with Juliette, who is the chief physio at Kia Kaha, and it’s her I have to thank for getting me an interview. She promised to meet me today and show me where to go.
“Is Alex the head of the company?” I ask as we turn away from the river and circle the large building before us.
“Five of us run it together,” she replies. “Alex is kind of the unofficial boss, but don’t tell him I said that.”
As we climb the wide steps to the front of the building, I look for a ramp, which I’ll have to use if Finn does get on the program. I can’t see one though, and frown as I say, “Do you have wheelchair access here?”
“Of course. There’s a ramp around the side, but most of our disabled visitors use this.” She gestures to a small area next to the stairs that turns out to be a platform lift. An outdoor one! Very fancy. “We’re focused on making people with disabilities comfortable here,” she says. “We have a large disabled car park, Braille signage in the bathrooms, and overhead signage for people who are hard of hearing. And we’re always open to suggestions for ways we can improve.”
Impressed, I follow her across the paved square and through the automatic doors.
“The building has a biophilic design,” Juliette explains as we enter the lobby. “We collaborated with the localkaitiaki—Maori guardians who advocate for elements of nature—when we designed the office, in order to make it as beautiful and sustainable as possible. You can see raw materials like punga logs, reclaimed Kauri timber, and river stones throughout the offices, and obviously we use lots of native plants.”
The lobby is large and open plan, with a crescent-moon-shaped reception desk that curves around a seating area. The front of it is created from a carved light wood carved with pictures that the sign informs me tells the story of Tane-mahuta, god of the forest. Autumn sunshine from the high windows falls across the scene, making it look like a forest glade.
“Oh, it’s amazing,” I say. “Wow, that painting is fantastic.” It takes up almost all of one wall, a splendid representation of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the primal couple in Maori mythology. Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, lies on her back with her face and figure forming the hills and valleys of the world, while Rangi, the Sky Father, looks down at her from the heavens, his lips touching hers.
“Well, you have a special treat today,” Juliette tells me. “The artist is a friend of ours who’s here on business, so you’ll get to meet him!” She takes me up to reception and introduces me to the young woman sitting behind the wooden desk. “Rebecca, this is Mistletoe Macbeth. She’s here for a meeting with Alex.”
“Hello,” Rebecca says with a smile. “What a wonderful name.”
“It’s a weird name,” I reply cheerfully, “but it means people won’t forget me in a hurry.”
She chuckles and turns the visitor’s book toward me. “Could you sign in, please? And if you wouldn’t mind wearing a sticker.” She passes me one with the word ‘visitor’ on it, and I stick it to my jacket. I’ve dressed smartly today in my best gray pantsuit with a white blouse, and I’ve pinned my dark hair up in a neat bun in the hope of making a good impression.
As I sign the register, Juliette says, “Oh, here’s James.”
I turn to see a man crossing the lobby. He’s wearing a smart, elegant, navy suit, he’s exceptionally well groomed, and he’s possibly the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen in real life.
