Episode 8038

Extended Summary

Justin finds Andrew down on the beach. Andrew says he doesn’t know Esther and asks if he has to hug a stranger or live with her. Justin says he doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do and seeing his mum for the first time in thirteen years is a lot. Back at the house, Esther laments to Leah that she shouldn’t have pushed things. Leah asks about when she last saw Andrew. Esther says they were playing in the yard, she went inside to answer the phone and when she came out he’d disappeared. Leah notes the missing person report said it was her husband but Esther doesn’t elaborate, saying it’s not important.

Roo arrives at the Diner finishing a phone call and tells Alf and Marilyn she’s been onto the local media: The Coastal News want to do a story on Marilyn. Alf isn’t certain but Marilyn wants to get justice. Roo says there’s a phone interview arranged in half an hour. Back at the house boat, Kahu insists to Tane that he has a plan: He’s going to get the investors for the trawler and find work to keep sending his mother money. Tane is dismissive of the idea, saying Kahu’s run from New Zealand to Summer Bay and now to here and has to stop at some point.

With Alf and Roo listening in, Marilyn has her phone interview with the journalist, Tanya, who comments that not many people take on a corporation and win. She asks why Marilyn wants to rock the boat when she’s got what she wants. Marilyn says she can’t sleep knowing other people are going to be bullied like she was. Tanya ends the interview and says she’s impressed. Alf and Roo congratulate Marilyn.

Andrew tells Justin he’s not sure what he should do. Justin says he and Leah will be with him the whole time and won’t let anything bad happen to him. They head back to the house where Leah and Esther are waiting. Esther tells Andrew to take all the time he needs. Leah suggests Esther stay for dinner. Esther asks if that’s okay with Andrew, who nods.

On the house boat, Kahu continues to insist he’s got a handle on things. Tane wants Kahu to come back to Summer Bay with him so he can keep an eye on him. Kahu says it’s none of Tane’s business but Tane says he made it his business when he stole the credit card. Kahu tries to get him to go. Instead, Tane takes a beer from the same fridge Kahu just took one from.

Justin, Leah, Andrew and Esther eat in awkward silence. Justin asks Esther if she has any other children and she says she couldn’t think of starting a new family. Leah asks her where the photo of Andrew as a boy was taken and Esther says it was a park near where they lived, where they used to go after swimming lessons. Andrew asks what happened to Ted. Esther doesn’t understand the reference and Leah explains it’s the bear in the photo. Esther says Andrew had lots of toys: She kept his things for years but isn’t sure what happened to them. She decides to go back to the motel, saying she’ll call by in the morning.

At the Diner, Marilyn shows Alf and Roo the online article, headed “Local hero takes on corporate giants”. Roo reads the article for her which calls Marilyn an Aussie battler, mentions how the three of them uncovered cover-ups and bullying and includes a quote where she talks about corporations thinking they can walk over little people. Alf and Roo are both complimentary.

Justin and Leah check on Andrew, who decides to go to bed. He thanks them for letting him stay. After he’s gone, Justin and Leah ponder the fact that Andrew and Esther might never find a connection and how upset she’d be. Leah says she keeps thinking about how she’d feel if someone took her son away. Andrew listens to them from round the corner. Next morning, Tane says that Kahu needs to tell his mum the truth, then come back to Summer Bay and work at the gym to pay off his debt. If he doesn’t, Tane will call Cash and have him charged for stealing the credit card.

Leah has prepared another huge breakfast for herself, Justin and Andrew. She and Justin conclude Andrew can stay with them as long as he wants. When Andrew joins them, he announces that he’s decided to go and live with Esther. A short time after, they arrange to meet Esther by the beach. Leah and Andrew go and chat to her while Justin gets Andrew’s bag from the car. Leah and Justin tell the pair to stay in touch, to which Esther agrees, although in a somewhat offhand manner. Esther and Andrew drive away, while Leah and Justin reflect on how they’re going to miss him.

Kahu tells Tane that he will tell his mother what’s going on, but he wants to do it face to face. Tane realises Kahu is asking him to lend him the money for a flight to New Zealand. Later, as the two of them are sailing the boat back to land, Tane notes he’s been thinking. Even though he’s going to be paying for Kahu’s flight himself, he’s decided to go with him, to make sure Kahu goes through with it and also to support him. Kahu asks about Felicity and Tane says he’ll deal with her.

At the Diner, Alf, Marilyn and Roo are being interrupted by alerts on Marilyn’s phone. She says it’s posts on the article but doesn’t look at them and eventually admits one comment was less than flattering. Roo looks and finds several insulting comments, while Marilyn says she was accused of being paid to make it up. Roo tries to get her to dismiss them as trolls and takes Marilyn’s phone.

Later, Marilyn and Roo are walking on the beach. There is another alert on Marilyn’s phone and Roo goes to put it on silent, then sees it’s a voicemail. Marilyn asks her to play it and they hear a distorted voice saying she was warned to keep her mouth shut and will now suffer the consequences: She and her friends should watch their backs.