My wife was reading a book about a Victorian clergyman named Balthazar who in his thirty-sixth year suddenly developed a passion for fishing

She was sitting on our balcony overlooking the beach with the slight green book on her lap

It is rather cloudy at present will it lift?

Yes the cloud burns back quite quickly on this coast 

From where I was standing I could see that the beach was already filling up

The beach on the seafront at Balthazar differed from others in the area as it three concrete blocks of outbuildings in the middle of the beach not far from the main jetty

No-one had thought to demolish them and they were now favoured by the locals and tourists alike when the sun became too hot

The beach in Balthazar was split into two sections

The textile part of the beach was to the left of the hotel whilst the clothes optional area of the beach was situated around the three concrete blocks

In truth the barriers had mixed and there was no real borders anymore and nobody apart from the town council really cared

My wife and I decided to position ourselves a few yards from the shore and its heavy waves although we knew that we would be forced to move in the early afternoon

Although the day had settled the waves were still quite violent as they always were

It was the peculiar geography of the resort that accounted for the force of the waves

People just grew used to them and treated them with respect

In some of the outbuilding small bars had sprung up and had became quite popular

After about an hour and a half my wife suggested that we take refreshment as the air was quite dry and was getting hotter and hotter as the day matured

We found a bench quite easily and ordered two grape juices

I looked at Unit 28 which was nearly opposite where we were sitting

An American couple from Schenectady New York who we had previously met on the coach were sheltering from the sun

Both were very pale and they appeared totally unsuited for beach

I took a photograph of them this morning outside of the hotel

It was cooler then

Have they visited Balthazar before?

They come every year

Unit 28 actually belongs to them

I did not think that people actually owned the units

It was handed down to them from his late father

What are their names?

Alan and Sylvie Tester

Do you know something about that unit?

You are going to tell me

In 1928 a twenty-three year old woman named Alice Adams gave birth to a hydatidform mole there

This was very unusual in itself as this condition normally affects woman over forty five

It was a most distressing event

What is your point?

There is not any point

I was just saying that where Alan and Sylvie Tester are sitting now was the location for that peculiar birth

Soon afterwards we returned to our towels and beach bags and soon had to move as the tide was quite progressive

My wife was partially struck by an errant wave as she recovered her book and I took the opportunity of recording the moment on film

She was not amused

 

Return from Africa  

Jim and Julie had booked a vacation in Africa but a month before they were due to leave they both lost their jobs in a matter of twenty-four hours

They were due to pay the final instalment a day later but defaulted and subsequently lost their deposit

Both tried to find immediate employment but without success and they were both forced to retire to their small apartment that overlooked the railway station

On the day that they were supposed to have travelled to Africa they made a momentous decision

That they would travel to Africa without leaving their apartment

As they lay under a thin sheet that evening they could both be found reading copes of the National Geographic which had been stolen from a library a week previously

Jim was reading about the Great Rift Valley whilst Julie was studying the causes and outcome of the Zulu Wars

As far as their many friends knew the lucky couple were now in deepest Africa

Both Jim and Julie did not want the truth to filter out so they abandoned themselves to their apartment

I think a movie was once made about people in our situation

I think there was

About a couple so proud that they could not tell their closest friends that for once life had turned shitty and fucked them hard

I think it was called Le Retour d’Afrique

They had sold everything before starting a new life in Algeria but are then warned off of travelling to the country and rather than lose face they holed themselves up in their apartment

Like we are doing

But our decision was financial

We could not afford our vacation

I think that this is God teaching us a lesson

But we are decent people

Decent but greedy

As I said before we booked Africa there was more chance of finding Mungo Park’s body than for us to stop our travelling

It was in our blood

But we are not travelling now

Maybe not for a while

I think that this has taught us a lesson

Do you think we will be able to stand this apartment for the next two weeks?

We have enough food

But no television

For two weeks from today we do not exist

No one will be suspicious of our lights as they will consider them to be security lights

We can live as normal just Jim and Julie

But do you really think that our friends are that interested in us

They have their own lives

As far as they are concerned Jim and Julie are in Africa

But just be careful when you are near the windows as our neighbours will think we have intruders

Julie stood up and walked towards the small bookcase near the window

As I was saying

Do not worry I am only going to be a second

Julie pulled a slight green book from the top shelf

What is that book?

It is called The Resort Balthazar

Is it good?

I find it interesting it is book about a Victorian Clergyman named Balthazar who in his thirty-sixth year suddenly developed a passion for fishing

Julie slipped beneath the sheets and kissed Jim

Are you not going to read it now?

In a few minutes when we can use the lights

Jim looked at the large digital clock

18.44

Well our first day in Africa went well

Yes very well and we have another thirteen to go

What lucky people were are