I wonder how many people who have flown are now dead?
Well those who died in crashes are obviously dead
And Orville and Wilbur Wright
Crystal Scallop and her friends Douglas and Pretty were sitting on the terrace of her parent’s villa on the island of Majorca
It was the last day of Pretty’s stay
Later in the day she was catching a plane to take her to Tokyo where she lived with her parents
As there were a number of hours to fill before the taxi arrived it was decided that they should all go to the nearby beach
When they arrived they found Rival Delhi sitting near the jetty reading a book about Chopin and George Sand who had famously visited the island
Are you coming in for a swim as it is my last day?
Not now, maybe later as I would like to finish my book
Please yourself but do join us later
Crystal Scallop sat on the beach away from the water’s edge. She watched as Pretty swam out to the end of the jetty and back again
You have ruined a perfectly good shirt why did you wear it swimming?
Why are you not swimming today, you swam yesterday?
The sea shall not caress me today. It can look but it cannot touch. You must always keep the sea hungry when you are in its company
Will you swim tomorrow when I am gone?
Perhaps I am studying the behaviours of the waves
They seem fine today so easy and calming
I agree but you miss their hidden thoughts.They would soon tire of me and that would not do
Do they tire of me as I swim every day?
Only you will know that
Sometimes you lose me Crystal the sea is the sea is the sea. In a month I will bathe in the sea off of the coast of Japan. It will be the same sea only it will be called by the different name
Give me your shirt and I will dry it on the rock and again why did you wear it swimming?
Because I am going to wear it on my journey back to Tokyo
Why?
When I have landed safely and am standing in the airport lounge awaiting my father I will sniff my sleeve and think of this very afternoon of you and Douglas and Rival Delhi and when I am settled I will mail this shirt back to you so that you may relive my journey
And I will wear it that day when I swim and dry it on that very rock and when it is ready I will mail it back to you in Japan
Douglas and Rival Delhi watched the girls as they placed the soaking shirt on to the harsh white rocks that were dotted along the beach
They were both wearing turquoise swimming shorts when struck both men as funny as both Pretty and Crystal were wearing navy blue swimwear
I expect Pretty borrowed her beachwear from Crystal as they are roughly the same size but my friend we are the peacocks
Pretty indicated that she wished to take one final swim and gestured for Douglas and Rival Delhi to join her
Douglas agreed and ran along the short jetty and dived in and was soon swimming with Pretty
Why do you wear your shirt as it is much easier to swim without it?
I have told Crystal of the reasons and she will tell you after I have left
I might wear my best city suit when I next bathe
Pretty smiled and swam towards the beach. Douglas did not follow at once as he was watching a plane preparing to land at the island’s airport
Being a stronger swimmer he soon caught up with Pretty and as they walked through the shallows they both began to look at the descending plane
In a few hours I will be on one of those but going the other way
How will we know what plane you will be on?
I will wear my shirt and will wave when I see you
We will all miss you
I know but I will still be here, I am leaving some of my belongings behind and a gift for each of you but you must not open it until I return
Rival Delhi was sitting next to Crystal Scallop and was telling her of the visit of George Sand and Chopin
Pretty listened to her friend as she dried herself
Did they swim like us?
No they visited the island in the winter
What is this island like in the winter?
Well it is not as cold as countries further north but it turns grey and cool and seems to hibernate
I should like to be here in the winter and not in Japan
Crystal Scallop stood up and began to put her shorts on she was holding the book that Rival Delhi had been reading
It was called Chopin and George Sand in Majorca
Do you know that I am related to her lady’s-maid?
Whose lady’s-maid?
George Sand
What was her name?
Amelie, she was called Amelie
How did you know that?
Dehli told me, he knows these things don’t you Dehli? And do you know that Crystal Scallop is not my real name
I did not think it was, but what is your real name?
Solange but do not repeat it as I do not want the sea to know
But how does that relate you to George Sand’s lady’s-maid?
George Sand had two children and this was the reason that she came to Majorca
I thought it was because of Chopin
It was partially because of Chopin but she came to the island because of her son Maurice who suffered badly from rheumatism. I believe that Chopin agreed to travel after the decision had been made
Dehli took the book from Solange and began reading
On the 7th of November 1838 the steamship El Mallorquin sailed from Barcelona amongst its passengers were a Madame Dudevant, her two children Maurice and Solange as well as Chopin and Amelie
Did they stay on the island for long?
No they stayed until the February of 1839
Did it help Maurice?
Well yes he lived into adulthood so it must have done him some good
What about Chopin?
Well he lived for another ten years so it might have prolonged his life but there was no cure for tuberculosis
But how did Amelie fit into this and how is she related to Crystal?
My name is Solange
How is she related to Solange?
Well, during her time here Amelie met and fell in love with a carpenter named Filipe and although she only stayed on the island for a short time she corresponded with Filipe and when she left her mistress’s employment she headed back to Majorca and married her love
How romantic
What happened to Amelie and Filipe?
Not that much I know they had four children who were all girls which they called
Solange (Uno)
Solange (Dos)
Solange (Tres)
Solange (Cuatro)
Did they live a long and happy life?
I do not know any facts apart that Solange is related to the forth of the sisters Solange (Cuatro)
Shh keep your voice down the sea has acute hearing
The only other fact that I know about was that Filipe often dreamt of air travel and recorded his dreams in his diary. He designed crude airports on the island for the reception of these planes
How do you know this?
They are in the museum on the island
But why did you call yourself Crystal Scallop for so many years?
To confuse the sea. It still thinks my name is Crystal Scallop
What are you going to do with your old name?
I am going to give it to Pretty
Yes in Japan I am going to be known as Crystal Scallop apart from when I talk to you
But what will your parents think?
It is not up to them
So is Solange going to have your name?
No, I am keeping it in a box until I return. You will find it under my bed with my other possessions
Why did your parents call you Pretty?
Because when I was born I was so pretty. My parents were going to call me Amelie but an aunt of mine said that I was such a pretty little thing and the name stuck
Douglas who had been watching the planes come and go started walking up the beach towards the narrow lane that led the villa
Come on guys I have lost the plot of your conversation if we are not quick then the taxi will arrive before we know it
After a final light meal the friends exchanged gifts which had been a tradition since their college days
Nothing was unwrapped as the tradition dictated that gifts could not be opened for six hours
Pretty was dressed in her beach shirt and a pair of faded jeans and was sitting on the steps that led down to the road. Douglas was sitting next to her
On the internet you will find a webcam which is situated in the area of Tokyo near to my parent’s apartment. You will see a street which is called the street of two rivers. In front of the smaller apartment building you will see a dark green plastic chair in which the caretaker sometimes sits. On Saturday next at 06.28 Tokyo time I will sit in this chair. I will be wearing a dress of red and white but I will be barefoot. For six minutes I will look up at the KPG building where the webcam is situated and think of you. I will know that you will be in your bed looking at your laptop and that when I leave you will send me a mail describing the beach and the sea
I am going to have to work out the time difference but it will be fun
I will be there each Saturday and I will wear a dress of a different colour on each visit. When I wear my beach shirt then you will know that I am about to return. I will send no other communication
Their conversation was interrupted when two taxis arrived. Rival Delhi and Solange walked towards them carrying Pretty’s cases. They packed them into the trunk of the first taxi and watched as both cars drove away
Solange turned to Rival Dehli looking a little puzzled
Why did they send two taxis when we only ordered one? Did they think we were all going to Japan?
No it was nothing like that it is that the company runs a Zero Taxi Policy
Explain
How would we have felt if we had been waiting here and the taxi did not arrive? Well they combat this type of oversight by sending two taxis. This means that if taxi one does not arrive then taxi two will complete the job and if taxi two does not arrive and taxi one does then the customer is none the wiser. It is a perfect way of ensuring that the customer is totally satisfied
How thoughtful and the taxi company sent Volvos as they knew that Pretty does not like travelling in cars whose name exceeds six characters
Night fell as it did on the Island very quickly and the friends retired to bed. Pretty’s plane was not due to take off until 06.23 in the morning and Solange, Douglas and Rival Dehli had a agreed to be on the beach to say farewell
On the night of Pretty’s departure Solange was sharing her bed with Rival Dehli. She shared her bed with one of her friends on alternative nights
She considered this to be democratic
Pretty approved of this arrangement but in the days leading up to her departure had slept alone
This affected Douglas more than Rival Dehli but he did not care as he had always enjoyed the unpredictability of mathematics
He had also arranged with both Solange and Rival Dehli to sleep alone on Saturdays so that he could see Pretty on the webcam
He slept with Solange on Sundays and Mondays and soon began to see the advantages of this binary arrangement
As they lay in the bed staring at the ceiling Solange and Rival Dehli listened to the insects making their hollow calls outside of the open window
The night was hot and still and the silence was only broken by the insects and the occasional plane landing at the airport. Solange thought of Pretty sitting in the departure lounge awaiting her plane
Did you know a lot about your ancestors before I filled in the gaps?
Well I knew that I came from a long line of Solange’s and that I was distantly related to someone who knew George Sand but I did not know the detail
I will try to find out more about her and Filipe but my initial enquiries have drawn a blank. I do not know if they are even buried on the island
Perhaps when the weather turns cooler we will research their history
May I ask you a question?
Why did you call yourself Crystal Scallop for so many years ?
Because of the sea
Explain
As you know my parents lived in America before they moved to Majorca. Well when I was nineteen years old I was on a beach at Cape Cod when I saw a man drown in a perfectly calm sea. There was no rip or anything he just drowned in a benign sea
Continue
It was after they had taken his body away that I wandered down to where the incident had taken place and was stopped by a cop who had secured the area. He told me that man had been diving in search for the mystical Crystal Scallop and had drowned in the process
Then why did you change your name?
As I spoke to the cop I could hear the sea laughing in the background. The tide touched my feet and I could feel its violation. It asked my name and I told it that my name was Crystal Scallop. The sea went quiet for a while and as I walked away from the scene it started talking to me
The sea spoke to you?
Well not in words it invaded my thoughts. I was promised that I would be safe in the water whenever I swam and that even in the roughest seas I would be safe
Did you ever test this promise?
Yes the following year. I went swimming on a rough day when the waves were heavy and the surf was violent and the sea kept its word I came to no harm. It was as I became older that I felt that when I swam the sea was beginning to caress me which I did not care for
But you swim a lot were you not frightened?
You probably do not know this but whenever I go swimming the sea asks me my name. I always lie and say that my name is Mary Maude or Sally Street or the like and the waters believe me and I swim without violation
So why have you had problems here in Majorca?
That was because of Pretty who innocently called me Crystal Scallop as we were swimming one day. The sea turned its attention to me and has followed me ever since
Why do you not lie to it?
The Mediterranean Sea is not a stupid sea. If I am to swim then I have to catch it off guard and that is why I do not want it to know my birth name of Solange
Rival Delhi looked at Solange’s eyes which were getting heavy and beginning to close. He waited a moment and then pulled up the thin blanket towards her shoulders
At 06.28 the following morning Solange, River Dehli and Douglas stood on the beach looking in the direction of the airport
In the distance they saw a plane take off and climb into the morning sky
They waved at their friend until the plane disappeared from view
As she looked out of the window Pretty wrote in her notebook
Let us celebrate these five months with diamonds, peas and pearls
She waved in the general direction of the beach knowing that her friends could see her. Within minutes the plane was in the clouds as it climbed towards its cruising altitude
Soon she was feeling rested as she had been awake for the whole of the night. She began listening to the works of Chopin and after a while began to sleep soundly
A flight attendant named Monika noticed that Pretty’s CD player was beginning to fall from her lap and gently removed the Polish composer and placed him on the vacant seat next to her
Monika then took a flight blanket from the overhead locker she then waited a moment and pulled the thin blanket towards the shoulders of her passenger
Pretty stirred but was soon back in a sound sleep and slept until the approach to Tokyo was announced
An hour later she found herself in the airport lounge. Her father she knew would be meeting her in about an hour. She went to the rest room to freshen up
As she stood in front of the strip mirrors she lifted the sleeve of her beach shirt and sniffed the material
It still smelt of the sea and tiny grains of sand began to fall away from the folds
Sands from Majorca were now mixing with the dusts and dampness of an airport rest room. She almost felt sorry for the tiny grains of sand so far from home
She sniffed the shirt again and decided to buy a brightly coloured tee shirt from one of the many shops in the airport
After a short look through the many shirts on sale she chose a white shirt with a message written in large mauve letters
THIS IS NOT A GAME SHOW
A few minutes after changing into her new shirt she sat on the seats nearest the main entrance to the airport and awaited her father
On the internet you will find a webcam which is situated in the area of Tokyo near to my parent’s apartment. You will see a street which is called the street of two rivers. In front of the smaller apartment building you will see a dark green plastic chair in which the caretaker sometimes sits. On Saturday next at 06.28 Tokyo time I will sit in this chair. I will be wearing a dress of red and white but I will be barefoot. For six minutes I will look up at the KPG building where the webcam is situated and think of you. I will know that you will be in your bed looking at your laptop and that when I leave you will send me a mail describing the beach and the sea
Douglas thought of Pretty’s words as he sat on a chair opposite from where Solange was sleeping
It was his turn to spend the night with Solange
But because of the heat he could not sleep
He was looking at his laptop deciding whether to access the webcam where Pretty promised she would be
It was not Saturday but he decided to view the site and after some hindrance he was able to view the webcam
He was slightly surprised when he saw a naked mannequin and an equally naked Pretty standing on each side of the dark green plastic chair
Pretty was holding a placard above her head which read
THIS IS NOT A GAME SHOW
A number of people were passing by but were taking little notice of Pretty or the mannequin
Douglas looked at the webcam for another minute before the image cut out and was unable to recover the link
Hi Pretty this is Douglas what were you doing standing naked in the street with that mannequin next to you I saw you on the webcam
There was no reply
Hi Pretty are you ok, you have not taken anything have you?
A few seconds later there was a reply as an email arrived
What are you saying Douglas, I am in the office of McNee & Jeal wearing my business suit. Are you sure you have not taken anything
But it was you
No I assure you it was not me
Your pubic hair is pink
You know it is, pink is my favourite colour why do you ask?
Because the girl next to the mannequin had pink public hair as you have and she resembled you in every feature
Whatever you are on Doug is very good but to put your mind at ease I will pop down to where the plastic chair is situated and if I find the naked me I will let you know. Give me about fifteen minutes and I will mail you back
Douglas tried to restore the connection with the webcam again but the connection was poor and after trying a number of times he gave up
I have been down to the street and there is only Mr Tui sitting in the chair and I assure you he is very clothed. There is no naked me or a naked mannequin
I must have been dreaming it so hot here.Solange is asleep but I could not rest and that was why I accessed the webcam
If you wait till Saturday then you will see me in a coloured dress
As he read Pretty’s mail his internet finally signal cut out and he was unable to reply
A storm was brewing in the distance and he assumed that this was playing havoc with his connection
That evening Pretty carefully placed the beach shirt in a jiffy bag and arranged for it to be sent to Solange as she had promised she would do
She has not washed the shirt as she wanted it to smell of her travel and of the sea and of the beach
Solange received the shirt six days later and swam off of the jetty using her real name
The sea did not caress her