Perhaps we shouldn't have gone to
the Gallery opening. The smart, shiny people glanced unseeingly at us as we
slipped through the door, so absorbed were they in all the other smart, shiny
people they had known for years. Strangely, nobody else seemed to be looking at
the stunning pictures. More people drifted in and were greeted with shrieks of
recognition, air kisses, as we bounced off them like billiard balls, unable to
penetrate the invisible shield.
She used to be a neighbour of
his, in and out of each other's houses, their children playmates, but they
hadn't seen each other for years.
'I can't quite place you ...’ she said, puzzled, as he greeted her and
congratulated her on her work. 'Oh yes, didn't you used to be married to ...’
'Things change', he replied
awkwardly as my smile slipped.
Not the right woman. Not the right place. Not my fault.
The next day, the thin Autumn
sunshine breaking through the misty morning drew us out onto the water. We
spent the day sailing up the river, the water like spun silk, dropping anchor
in a quiet creek, listening to the silence, soaking up the late sun. Later, as
the light drained away, we headed back to port under the bright, almost full
moon, shivering in the damp, cold, river air.