Week 34: Local Gossip

The old ladies of Niua Simoa are very fond of their afternoon tea - and very often a few of them will get together and discuss local affairs over tea and cakes. It's a great way for all of them to make sure that not the smallest detail of island life should escape their notice.
Here's this week's news:

Hina Chin unexpectedly found herself pregnant. Totara and Tane thought it was high time that their daughter started a family, but Hina herself, full of political plans, was not too happy.

Needless to say that Hina's boss Crystal Ling is putting a *lot* of pressure on Hina to keep working, 'to set an example to all the women of Niua Simoa'.
Just like Tane and Totara are putting an equal amount of pressure on their daughter to be a 'good mother' and stay at home.

Tim Chin told Hina already that he would support her whatever her decision was, and that he knew several very trustworthy babysitters...

However, the old ladies all agree that Hina should be ashamed of herself to follow the example of 'that woman' Crystal Ling.
What's the island coming to, if the women don't stay home with their babies and let strange teenagers look after them?

Poor Tim was having a hard time of it, since he did not only have to deal with a pregnant wife at home, but also with a pregnant co-worker. Since Margo is quite a bit older than her husband, it really was a 'now or never' decision.
So with Margo at work, complaining about her aching back and eating the most disgusting combinations of food, while Hina was doing the same thing at home, poor Tim is under quite a bit of stress!

* * *

Kurt and Margo Tumeke's baby is born soon after Louise's move. In fact, Louise was the first of the old ladies to see the baby: a healthy boy named Eloni.

Kurt did contact his parents to tell them they had a grandson, but unfortunately his mother answered the phone. Her first question was whether the baby had 'those awful Tumeke jowls', and the second one was whether they'd made sure to check it for fetal nectar syndrome... After which Kurt hung up and declared this was the last straw, and from now on he'd consider himself an orphan.

The old ladies tend to take Kurt's side - nobody really likes Sifoua very much. And Margo is the sister of that 'nice Dr Tumeke'. On the the other hand, their mother was a hopeless drunk, and such things are said to be in the genes...

* * *

Moana Chin is born a few days later, and of course all the ladies are holding their breath waiting to see what Hina will do once her maternity leave is officially over.

The ladies are all in agreement that the baby looks very much like Hina - but Feleti Palefau was heard to mutter that 'one larva is very much like another'.

* * *

Meanwhile Noa Bowie moved into a beach hut, and stuffed it full of aquariums for his perfect fish. Everyone is waiting forthe hut is going to collapse under the weight of all that water, but Noa is quite unconcerned.