Niki secured... and another Diwali

Coffee with Tom and good talks again. He is off to Norsewood this weekend and I am going to Whanganui for a weekend with Graeme.

Demolished a delicious savoury bacon pinwheel

Memphisin the morning playing my all-time favourite blues singer Marvin Gaye.

This morning right on time Niki arrived with her confidante Margaret to look at the room. She fell in love with it and says she wants to take it so it seems as I had thought, the Artist takes the room. There is quite a similarity with Aimé who was the original tenant, and Niki may well be the one to inherit the house when I leave in four months, or less, time. She is quintessential Kiwi, single of a certain age, who teaches Art at night to adults. She has been in a rooming house but needs more space and this is ideal for her. I always knew the right tenant would appear, even if I find no-one for Sonny's room I can cope for a while just with two tenants, and Sonny says he wants to return after his Mum goes home but he says he has taken a lease out already so I don't see that happening.

Last night's Diwali at Pushpa and Jack's was delightful with tons of food still left when I went home at 9.30. A welcoming crowd of mainly Indian Hindis with a few hangers on like me. I was invited to lead a chant but ended up by singing the HU by myself but they agreed it went down well. I am off to yet another Diwali tonight to support the Police Force intercultural initiative with Rakesh at the helm. Means I miss swimming yet again unfortunately although if I don't eat I could still attend, but somehow I don't think that will happen. Again there will be tons of food, the Indians seem to be forever eating.

So again a day later and things are resolving themselves. Received a reply from PK which said it as I thought, but that his health condition is more than parlous, it is dangerous, meaning that my return home may well be earlier than I thought. I can always re-arrange my plans, cancel a trip to Waiheke to see Norma in February or perhaps keep that paid ticket, and leave soon after my return on February 15. It is not a long time after all, and Peter says he can't see me in December as he is having a colonoscopy in St Vincent's hospital. Things are more than serious I'm afraid.

Eddie playing theatre...