Edmonds Henare My Friend S Name

edmondsallan - hello . Many years ago ( in fact 42 years ago ) I was staying the night at a Gisborne Hotel while on Business. Instead of going to the private bar , where the prices were high, I went to the public bar. I was still dressed in my working clothes ( 3 piece suit & tie ) I sat on the stool at one end of the bar . not wishing to be to conspicus. On the other end of the public bar was a well built maori in his bushman's singlet & shorts with arms that looked like legs & on his head a sort of musterer's hat ( a very battered Hat ) After about 12 minutes ,I hear a voice saying " Hey hori ! " several times , then " Hey you , with your funeral clothes on !! " that drew my attention . He walks up to me & says in broken English & ( he was still sober & just quenching his thirst after a hard day's work - )
" why don't we drink together , instead of sitting apart ! or you can tell me to BB#`*~ !! off ? "
So we sat on the stools together in that public bar & started to talk to each other . In Fact we got on well . We bought each other a round & he says " Ok Mate . I got go . By the way , what do they call you ? " I said " ~~~~ Edmonds " This complete stranger, who I had been drinking with , stops in his tracks . and says
" Did you say EDMONDS !!! ? I say " Yes " He says " You can't be, cause I'm a Bl----dy Edmonds & I am black as black ( which he was )and you are white as white !!! He sat down on the stool at the bar, again ,ordered another round > After 30 / 40 min " we found we were related by some " GGG Male Cussie " He grabs the phone & tells his wahine ,he is bring home for tea a long lost rel-ie !! . we had a great meal . Met all the family . and dived into our ancestry , which neither of us knew much about , No thats not right he knew his -- I was the dumb one . Since then our families have stayed with each other many times .We have been great friends since that chance meeting in that bar ! Not so long ago A Tall young Maori Lad of 23 yrs called in . Said his Grandad told him a bed was available for the night before he took off for Aussie . He passed over a huge piece of cooked pork and stayed the night and now he is working in Aussie . We are both in our Eighties ( 80's ) He has done his ancestral research with a little help from an old friend and so have I. That's why I wanted the daughter's first to have one of his names . Wouldn't that be great . Imagine telling my old maori friend of many years , " Got a gran- kid named after you . you owe me a pint !! ) till we meet again - regards - edmonds