Manaia

F has worn this all the years I have known her - day and night since at least 2008. (Longer than that, Tigger.)

Her father gave it to her to remind her of her roots.

She touches it a lot; rubs oil off her skin onto it.

Recently I noticed her taking it off before she went swimming.  She's never done that before, but said she felt the need to and would have hated to lose it in the sea.  

She gave it a new string last week; 'just precautionary,' she said.

Then it broke.   She was holding it at the time and the piece just dropped gently into her hand.

Spooky premonition of impending loss, or simply a case of the breakage being coincidental with becoming a 'worrier' in her old-age?  

(When I see things that make me go all spiky and jump sideways F just laughs at me - she can't see them and doesn't believe me.  So she asserts the second explanation, and maintains anything else is just 'ju-ju'.   It must have crossed her mind though.....)

Manaia has been glued back together and hung over a photo of her Dad; one taken on their 2007 Milford Track walk.  Maybe it's OK again but she's clearly not taking any risks.

Now, she's wearing Hei Toki (one she's had even longer but without the same sentiments).  However, Hei Toki is too big and heavy to be a permanent day and night fixture, and it certainly won't be going swimming.