Dave Letele

And so, you know, there was no hiding from it.

But he forced that environment on me.

And when I tried to, you know, get away from it, he'd say, hey, hey, hey, hey, don't you forget who's looking after you.

you know so I'd gone from yeah bro it was it was a it was a world of turmoil and um uh yeah but it was um yeah and then and then and then I think it was sixth form like year 12 and I'd I'd I'd failed year yeah I'd failed fifth form school C fifth form it's sad bro because I was a good you know

And then I went back to do sixth form and halfway through that my mum just goes, nah bro, you can't live here anymore.

Because it was just spiralling out of control.

What was mum thinking?

Yeah.

And dad?

Oh, I don't know.

I think because my parents were both working – well, my mum and my stepdad were both working in alcohol and drug services.

So they were out there helping everyone else and –

I think it happens for a lot of people.

You know, when your parents work in the community, you know, they're out there helping people in the community.

yeah i was like man why like we've got you know we've just got you back now we've got all these kids around that you're looking after we don't have you yeah this is a lot of um resentment still there bro i was angry for years bro i was angry for years about that whole situation you know the fact that um that i was just thrown to the wolves you know that's what i felt like bro that i'd just been thrown to the wolves and then um uh

But yeah, I don't know.

I think mum and the old man started to recognise things because they were working with, you know, the old man was working in prisons and stuff and things and they could see me spiralling out of control.

I was coming home stoned all the time, you know, like not listening, you know, I just wasn't even there.

Yeah.

And then my mum said, you're going to go and live with your dad in Waihi.