Queen of beauty

Abstract

Here's the story. A young man boarded the SS Kawau alone not long before noon, carrying a Gladstone bab and a small brown suitcase tied with thick string. His parents stood high above him on the dock, waiting for the boat to pull away. His father waved once and gave a tired half-smile. His mother, shivering, pulled a woollen shawl tight around her shoulders, even though it was a only a few days before Christmas. They would rather he made this trip in a week or two, when he was stronger.