On her birthday November Patient was taken to Marlborough and asked to choose a book from the many shelves in front of her<\/p>\n
After an hour she decided that an 1862 edition of Voltaire\u2019s work would make a suitable gift<\/p>\n
It has previously been owned by a Richard Matthey<\/p>\n
Who had annotated the book with his name and bookplate<\/p>\n
Richard Matthey Paris 1879\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n
How exotic the book felt in her hands<\/p>\n
As she left the shop and headed towards the college<\/p>\n
She passed a beggar<\/p>\n
Who was soaking wet<\/p>\n
As it was raining hard<\/p>\n
Alms for the poor <\/i><\/p>\n
The beggar muttered with his head bowed<\/p>\n
November\u2019s father threw a coin in the direction of the beggar<\/p>\n
This will pay for your bed and board for a week now be off with you as this is my daughter\u2019s birthday <\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A month later November Patient was in the loft of her parent\u2019s house repairing the cold water tank<\/p>\n
A man was watching her in the shadows<\/p>\n
What are you doing? <\/i><\/p>\n
Repairing the cold water tank as it was leaking <\/i><\/p>\n
Why were you asked to repair it?<\/i><\/p>\n
Because it is my passion<\/i><\/p>\n
I like repairing things that are broken<\/i><\/p>\n
November Patient noticed that the man was smoking<\/p>\n
Why do you smoke?<\/i><\/p>\n
Because it settles my nerves <\/i><\/p>\n
In a confined space such as this it could be considered a fire risk<\/i><\/p>\n
The man flicked his cigarette into the cold water<\/p>\n
See I have extinguished my pleasure <\/i><\/p>\n
Thank you<\/i><\/p>\n
I was born in Corfu you know and I know of many bathing places <\/i><\/p>\n
Then when I am finished we will go to Corfu together as I adore swimming<\/i><\/p>\n
What is your name?<\/i><\/p>\n
November Patient \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
And yours?<\/i><\/p>\n
I have a name but it is of no importance to you<\/i><\/p>\n
Then I shall call you Corfu <\/i><\/p>\n
Then I shall be called Corfu for the duration of our friendship<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
November Patient was swimming in the golden sea with the golden crabs and the golden seahorses<\/p>\n
Her companion was listening to French popular music on the golden beach<\/p>\n
After about half an hour November tired and climbed onto the golden rocks<\/p>\n
A golden crab joined her<\/p>\n
What is your name?<\/i><\/p>\n
November Patient<\/i><\/p>\n
I do not have a name crabs are never named <\/i><\/p>\n
I like this area you know<\/i><\/p>\n
So do I <\/i><\/p>\n
It is so beautiful and calm <\/i><\/p>\n
Do you like cinema? <\/i><\/p>\n
I suppose so although I do not watch many films <\/i><\/p>\n
I love the cinema <\/i><\/p>\n
It is nice to have an interesting pastime <\/i><\/p>\n
Do you have favourite actor? <\/i><\/p>\n
Not really do you? <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes I like Juliette Binoche <\/i><\/p>\n
The French actress? <\/i><\/p>\n
I also like John Malkovich <\/i><\/p>\n
When I left England a film starring Juliette Binoche was playing at the Man Jo in Basingstoke <\/i><\/p>\n
What was it called? <\/i><\/p>\n
The Clouds of Sils Maria <\/i><\/p>\n
I have heard of it but have not seen it <\/i><\/p>\n
I did not attend the showings <\/i><\/p>\n
Why? <\/i><\/p>\n
Because I only watch films financed by the Scottish Government<\/i><\/p>\n
Are you Scottish?<\/i><\/p>\n
No <\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
As she emerged from the sea November Patient could clearly hear the music coming from her companion\u2019s radio<\/p>\n
Everybody else on the beach was dancing to the vibrantFrench songs<\/p>\n
Why are you not dancing like all the others? <\/i><\/p>\n
I do not dance<\/i><\/p>\n
Can you dance? <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes<\/i><\/p>\n
Then dance with me<\/i><\/p>\n
No<\/i><\/p>\n
Why? <\/i><\/p>\n
Because I do not dance on beaches <\/i><\/p>\n
What is the song?<\/i><\/p>\n
I Want to Dance With You by Lolita Jolie it is the remix version<\/i><\/p>\n
I like it it is really jolly<\/i><\/p>\n
November Patient sat next to her friend and began drying her legs which were beginning to attract a light tan<\/p>\n
A much more sombre yet quite upbeat song followed the Lolita Jolie number<\/p>\n
November quite liked it<\/p>\n
What is this song called?<\/i><\/p>\n
Tourner Dans Le Vide by Indila <\/i><\/p>\n
It has a very luxurious feel to it <\/i><\/p>\n
I like it the singer is very talented <\/i><\/p>\n
Have you always liked French music?<\/i><\/p>\n
Ever since I was a child <\/i><\/p>\n
The song ended and Corfu switched his radio off<\/p>\n
The dancing stopped on the beach<\/p>\n
I would like you to meet my mother<\/i><\/p>\n
Where does she live?<\/i><\/p>\n
Over there in the villa near to the trees <\/i><\/p>\n
Does she have a name?<\/i><\/p>\n
I call her half pope <\/i><\/p>\n
Why?<\/i><\/p>\n
Because she is roughly half the size of the present pontiff <\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When they reached the villa November found it to be empty<\/p>\n
Is your mother not in?<\/i><\/p>\n
She is in<\/i><\/p>\n
Is she shy?<\/i><\/p>\n
No not really she is in her bedroom <\/i><\/p>\n
Does she not like the sun?<\/i><\/p>\n
She likes the sun and is very brown <\/i><\/p>\n
Oh<\/i><\/p>\n
She will be out shortly however between ten and two she tunes in to the internet <\/i><\/p>\n
Does she have an interest? <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes suicides <\/i><\/p>\n
Suicides?<\/i><\/p>\n
Yes my mother watches recordings of suicides on the internet <\/i><\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t that rather odd\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n
Not really she has watched recordings of this nature for quite a while<\/i><\/p>\n
I did not know that things like that were on the internet<\/i><\/p>\n
Everything is on the internet <\/i><\/p>\n
Have you ever watched them?<\/i><\/p>\n
Only once <\/i><\/p>\n
How did you feel?<\/i><\/p>\n
I did not feel anything it was just footage of sad people throwing themselves off of high buildings standing in front of trains jumping off of bridges <\/i><\/p>\n
Do any survive? <\/i><\/p>\n
Not many I would imagine <\/i><\/p>\n
In a few minutes I will bring you olives bread and cheese would that be appropriate?<\/i><\/p>\n
That would be delicious<\/i><\/p>\n
And some Greek wine<\/i><\/p>\n
Chilled? <\/i><\/p>\n
As the Southern Ocean <\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After her meal November met her host\u2019s mother who was indeed rather short<\/p>\n
She did not speak English but was able to communicate quite easily in her native language as Corfu was translating<\/p>\n
My mother says that I should show you to your room <\/i><\/p>\n
I am ready when you are<\/i><\/p>\n
The trio left the hot terrace and entered the cool rooms of the villa which to November\u2019s surprise were very plain almost Spartan<\/p>\n
You room is at the end of the passage overlooking the bay where you swam the morning it is the coolest room in the building and attracts both the early and late breezes of the day<\/i><\/p>\n
It was indeed a cool room exhibiting a slight chill<\/p>\n
It is lovely I will be happy here<\/i><\/p>\n
You will not be interrupted <\/i><\/p>\n
On the wall there was a small piece of tapestry in frame behind glass it appeared to be a scene from the Bible<\/p>\n
A naked girl with long blond hair (Eve) was reaching into a tree and plucking in apple watched by a parrot and a snake<\/p>\n
Is this a representation of (Eve) in the Garden of Eden?<\/i><\/p>\n
Yes it is <\/i><\/p>\n
It is lovely <\/i><\/p>\n
It is a partial copy from a Flemish tapestry that you can find in the Accademia in Florence <\/i><\/p>\n
What is it called? <\/i><\/p>\n
Original Sin it is called Original Sin<\/i><\/p>\n
November looked at the tapestry closely<\/p>\n
(Eve) possesses a passing resemblance to me would you say? <\/i><\/p>\n
Slightly although she is fuller of figure than you but her face resembles yours an off course you both have long blond hair <\/i><\/p>\n
Do you think (Eve) was happy? <\/i><\/p>\n
I am not sure but I think she lost her happiness by knowing of it<\/i><\/p>\n
Corfu and his mother left the small room and November sat on the bed<\/p>\n
Even from her seated position she could see the sea<\/p>\n
Happiness seemed to surround her she felt the syrup like softness of the emotion but she did not understand it<\/p>\n
As she turned away from the window she found that she was no longer alone<\/p>\n
The female figure from the tapestry was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room<\/p>\n
Are you (Eve)?<\/i><\/p>\n
I am (Eve) <\/i><\/p>\n
Why are you visiting me?<\/i><\/p>\n
To warn you of the Cloudy Tabernacle and the Jasper Seas <\/i><\/p>\n
Sorry but I do not get your meaning <\/i><\/p>\n
When the seas turn jasper and the bells of the Cloudy Tabernacle toll please leave the island <\/i><\/p>\n
(Eve) stood up and kissed November lightly on the cheek and then faded<\/p>\n
When November looked up at the tapestry again (Eve) had returned to her position under the tree in the Garden of Eden<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
November Patient was in danger and she was aware of the fact<\/p>\n
She had found herself near to a number of garages that backed on to a block of high flats<\/p>\n
In the dim light she could see two men walking towards her<\/p>\n
Are you going to hurt me? <\/i><\/p>\n
That depends on you darling <\/i><\/p>\n
If you are accommodating if you get my meaning <\/i><\/p>\n
Well why are you standing there? <\/i><\/p>\n
Fuck you<\/i><\/p>\n
Oh look she has spirit the tart has spirit <\/i><\/p>\n
I am no tart <\/i><\/p>\n
I am not going to ask you again take your fucking clothes off <\/i><\/p>\n
Fuck off you fat cunt go fuck your friend instead <\/i><\/p>\n
The taller of the two men produced a knife from his pocket<\/p>\n
I have another friend that you might want to meet <\/i><\/p>\n
November began to cry<\/p>\n
See they always fucking cry you get the attitude then they fucking cry <\/i><\/p>\n
Alms for a beggar <\/i><\/p>\n
Another figure emerged from an open garage<\/p>\n
Fuck off mate unless you want to get hurt as well <\/i><\/p>\n
I asked for alms did you not hear me?<\/i><\/p>\n
You are meat you fucking queer meet my fucking friend <\/i><\/p>\n
The man lunged forward intending to stab the figure in the shadows but suddenly stopped he turned toward November and she saw that the knife had entered the man\u2019s eye<\/p>\n
He had a look of complete terror on his face<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t hurt me mate I only came along to hold her down maybe slap her I was not going to rape her honestly I never do <\/i><\/p>\n
Then go away if I see you again I will remove your head <\/i><\/p>\n
The smaller man scuttled towards the sole street light but stopped and fell to the ground<\/p>\n
Why did you kill him?<\/i><\/p>\n
Because he was not telling the truth <\/i><\/p>\n
Who are you?<\/i><\/p>\n
The figure retreated into the darkness without answering<\/p>\n
November wiped her eyes and looked at the bodies of the two men she felt nauseous<\/p>\n
I promise you I will not have bad dreams again I am so sorry so very sorry <\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
November Patient was in her sleeping bag writing a letter to her distant companion<\/p>\n
My Dearest Friend <\/i><\/p>\n
My letter finds me in Germany as I am in the second year of an architectural course<\/i><\/p>\n
We are studying inter-war factories or rather the remains of them as most were destroyed during the war or left to go to rack and ruin since
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
I am sharing a tent with Aoife an Irish girl who is very nice although she does tend to drink heavily <\/i><\/p>\n
Yesterday we visited a factory lost deep in the forests of the area <\/i><\/p>\n
It was totally derelict and I wondered why such a factory would have been built in the middle of nowhere<\/i><\/p>\n
Due to its location the decay was organic and there was no graffiti to be seen apart from a comment I found on a toilet wall on the top floor of the building (I should have not really been there but I had split from the group)<\/i><\/p>\n
I had drunk too much water and my bladder was bursting and to my surprise I found a lavatory which was working amongst all the dereliction <\/i><\/p>\n
I was pissing when I saw written in biro on the door the following comment <\/i><\/p>\n
I wanted to be myself, only myself <\/i><\/p>\n
Initially this meant little to me until Aoife told me that they had filmed some of the scenes from the Godard movie Le Mepris here in 1963<\/i><\/p>\n
I wonder if Bardot had pissed there as I did in that lonely lavatory in 1963 when shooting the movie
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
I wonder if she was unhappy<\/em><\/p>\n At present I am looking at the moon through the light blue canvas of my tent <\/i><\/p>\n It is very beautiful<\/i><\/p>\n Aoife is getting drunk with the other savages but I am alone in the tent thinking about Major Tim in the orbiting space station <\/i><\/p>\n If I had had a brother I would have liked it to be Major Tim<\/i><\/p>\n I admire bravery in a man and what is why we are firm friends <\/i><\/p>\n Last night when the others had gone to bed I sat by the dying embers of the camp fire and copied out a rather poor poem that I had found recently <\/i><\/p>\n Grey Brown Winter Light<\/i><\/p>\n Pink Clouds Turning White<\/i><\/p>\n Lost in the Foothills of the Night<\/i><\/p>\n I burnt it and watched as the charred ashes of the poem drifted upwards<\/i><\/p>\n Hopefully Major Tim saw the remains passing the space station<\/i><\/p>\n And read the hopeless poem <\/i><\/p>\n I am wearing the sweatshirt you sent me as although it is summer it does get chilly at night <\/i><\/p>\n As you are aware I do not know where you are (you always surprise me) but wherever you are do keep safe<\/i><\/p>\n Love <\/i><\/p>\n November <\/i><\/p>\n Although December is ok (joke)<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n The Union Jack that flew over Vailima was brought and laid over him and the Samoans passed in procession each kneeling and kissing the hand of their master<\/p>\n November was standing the background comforting some of the weeping women<\/p>\n The request of Sosimo his faithful body-servant was granted and all through the night the Roman Catholic Prayers for the Dead were recited in Latin and Samoan.<\/p>\n By the flashing light of torches two hundred good men hacked a path up the side of the mountain<\/p>\n Both November and Edith brought them endless cups of tea but the men hardly stopped<\/p>\n Another body of men dug the grave on the summit<\/p>\n By morning the task was complete<\/p>\n The coffin of Stevenson with the ensign of the Casco<\/i> over it was carried up the steep path<\/p>\n It was carried high by powerful Samoans and a beggar who had been found nearby<\/p>\n The Reverend. W. E. Clarke read the Burial Service and Stevenson\u2019s own prayer that he had read to his family and November on the evening before he died.<\/p>\n November stayed on the island until the August of 1914<\/p>\n She left as she found life under the German Occupation harsh and unhappy<\/p>\n On the 30th<\/sup> of August that year a force of New Zealanders liberated Samoa without interference from the Germans<\/p>\n The following day a royal salute was fired as the Union Jack was slowly run up a flagstaff to strains of the British National Anthem<\/p>\n On the lonely summit of a mountain three miles away the grave of Robert Louis Stevenson became part of the British Empire again<\/p>\n <\/p>\n November lay slouched on a sandbank not far from the sea<\/p>\n Her companion was listening to French popular music<\/p>\n He was wearing headphones<\/p>\n Nobody was dancing on the beach<\/p>\n What are you listening to? <\/i><\/p>\n Marie Laforet <\/i><\/p>\n Do I know her?<\/i><\/p>\n The Girl with the Golden Eyes <\/i><\/p>\n No I have never heard of her<\/em><\/p>\n November was reading a biography of Stevenson<\/p>\n She was wearing jeans and a jasper shirt as the sun was strong and she was slightly burnt<\/p>\n She longed to swim<\/p>\n But decided to read<\/p>\n As she was reading the book which she had purchased from a bookshop on the island the previous week a soiled newspaper cutting fell out<\/p>\n It was a review of the book she was reading and dated from 1923<\/p>\n On the reverse of the cutting there was grainy photograph taken during the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun<\/p>\n The photograph showed Howard Carter unravelling a large scroll<\/p>\n November could not see anything else as the newspaper cutting had been cut in half<\/p>\n Do you know that he opened the tomb with a chisel given to him by his grandmother on his seventeenth birthday?<\/i><\/p>\n No<\/i><\/p>\n Yes that is a fact I kept it in my bag so it would not be stolen <\/i><\/p>\n As the sun weakened November and her companion swam in the shallows near to the jetty<\/p>\n The sea was red gold and jasper<\/p>\n In the distance she could hear a bell tolling<\/p>\n Keep swimming <\/i><\/p>\n Shall we not head for the jetty? <\/i><\/p>\n Do not worry as the golden crabs are here<\/i><\/p>\n Are you sure?<\/i><\/p>\n I am sure<\/i><\/p>\n November felt her companion touch her hand<\/p>\n Dive <\/i><\/p>\n Do dive<\/i><\/p>\n She followed her friend as he skimmed the sandy ridges of the sea<\/p>\n And then he vanished<\/p>\n November searched for him for an hour but knew that he was gone and when she returned to the villa she found it boarded up and derelict<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On her birthday November Patient was taken to Marlborough and asked to choose a book from the many shelves in front of her<\/p>\n After an hour she decided that an 1862 edition of Voltaire\u2019s work would make a suitable gift<\/p>\n It has previously been owned by a Richard Matthey<\/p>\n Who had annotated the book with his name and bookplate<\/p>\n Richard Matthey Paris 1879\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n How exotic the book felt in her hands<\/p>\n As she left the shop and headed towards the college<\/p>\n She passed a beggar<\/p>\n Who was soaking wet<\/p>\n As it was raining hard<\/p>\n Alms for the poor <\/i><\/p>\n The beggar muttered with his head bowed<\/p>\n November\u2019s father threw a coin in the direction of the beggar<\/p>\n This will pay for your bed and board for a week now be off with you as this is my daughter\u2019s birthday <\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On her birthday November Patient was taken to Marlborough and asked to choose a book from the many shelves in front of her After an hour she decided that an 1862 edition of Voltaire\u2019s work would make a suitable gift It has previously been owned by a Richard Matthey Who had annotated the book with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}