In the summer most days were identical on JJ Williams Greek island
Molly was on the narrow balcony that overlooked the garden
JJ was at his typewriter
Today he was writing a short poem
Called Turner’s Daughter
It was to be set in Margate
Molly’s home town
I was sitting in the shadow of the lifeguard’s hut
When a woman wearing a multi-coloured dress
Sat beside me
I looked at her as there was plenty of space on the beach
Do you mind?
No
I know it is improper but to appreciate the Margate Light one has to sit in the shadows
It is a very special light
I know it was my reason for coming to Margate
Where do you live?
On a quiet Greek island
Are you Greek?
No
Margate is Molly’s home town
My father used to live in Margate just over there where the gallery is now
He was a great artist and travelled far but never forgot the light of this town
What is your name?
Molly my name is Molly
Molly was sitting on a casual chair opposite JJ
What are you writing?
A poem about Margate
I miss Margate do you?
How can you miss Margate when everything is so beautiful here?
My father used to live in Margate just over there where the gallery is now
He was a great artist and travelled far but never forgot the light of this town
What is your name?
Molly my name is Molly
Molly walked towards the small window
I am going for a swim will you join me?
No I am writing
I wish you would build a swimming pool in the garden
What is the sea for Molly?
But other people swim in the sea
You are very unsociable this morning
I dreamt of the dead sailors again
I was swimming in the cove in front of the Church when a sailor many years old rose from the sea
What did you do?
I covered myself
The woman wearing the multi-coloured dress stood up and offered her hand to me
Walk with me towards the sea
We walked along the tide line towards the jetty as families enjoyed the sunshine
When I was returning to my island kingdom of Ithaca following the Trojan War I met many people both good and bad
For many years I was on Ogygia a far western isle the guest of Calypso
She offered me immortality if I stayed but I longed to return to my wife
What was your wife’s name?
Molly my wife’s name was Molly
Molly was glad that the beach was crowded as her dream still bothered her
She decided to swim in the shallows
No sailors bothered her
She watched as the sea changed colour
A Greek girl came up to her
Why are you not swimming in the deep waters?
Because I dreamt of sailors last night
Swim with me I will protect you from these errant sailors
What is your name?
My name is Nausicaa
My name is Molly
I know
For the next hour both women swam in the deep water and as they returned to the beach Molly looked at the Church
A priest stole a swift glance at the women before turning his head
I think that is the reason they stay and do not travel the world
This island is Heaven even with all these visitors
Everybody is seeking their own share of Heaven
Even the priests walking by
Do you think he thought us Sapphic?
Maybe maybe not but I will not deny him his pleasure
Would you join me for lunch?
Yes I would like to meet the shy writer
He is not shy he just does not like a fuss made of his work
I have not read his work you know
Many people haven’t it can be rather challenging
JJ was sitting at his type writer
Did you enjoy your swim?
Yes this is Nausicaa
I think we have met before or I have seen you at the beach
I usually go to the beach when I am free
Are we interrupting you?
No I have not written much this morning
Nausicaa and I will sit next to the pool do come down when you are ready
I’ve a Friend, over the sea;
I like him, but he loves me.
It all grew out of the books I write;
They find such favour in his sight.
The woman in the multi-coloured dress was sitting on the steps that led to the art gallery
I noticed that her dress was changing colour
Is that part of one of your works?
No it is part of a poem called Time’s Revenge by Robert Browning
The woman’s dress was now completely white
I do like your dress and how it changes colour at will
I am not wearing a dress
Are you sure?
Yes perfectly sure
The woman smiled
I am completely naked you know
But to anybody passing you appear to be wearing a white cotton dress
I assure you I am naked can you not see my breasts?
No I can see the shape of your breasts but I cannot see your breasts
That is common error
Please explain
It is easy really you expect to see me wearing a dress so you have created one in your mind all of the people near to us can see the dress
I may be wearing a yellow dress
I may be wearing a blue dress
I may be wearing a green dress
It is their choice
Then why did I see you wearing a multi-coloured dress on the beach
Because you were thinking about the light
You created my dress for me
Why is in so pale now?
Because the steps are pale because the gallery is pale
I assure I am totally naked
I always walk around this town naked but nobody sees my nudity because they are not expecting to see me naked
Close your eyes what do you see?
The light streaming through my eyelids
Open them what do you see?
A woman sitting on the steps wearing a jade dress
Do you remember the time a few years ago when you bet Molly ten pounds that she would not run to the clock and back wearing only a jade vest
Yes just as the clock struck twelve
What happened?
She was stopped by the cops and was warned about her behaviour
Were the cops expecting to see Molly just in her vest?
I do not know
I expect that they were on the look-out for the normal drunken silliness
Exactly they were on the lookout for people being silly
Close your eyes what do you see?
I may be wearing a blue dress
I may be wearing a yellow dress
I may be wearing a green dress
I included the episode in the book I was writing at the time
Close your eyes
Nausicaa and Molly were sitting by the pool
JJ walked slowly towards them
He was carrying a book
A book of poems by Robert Browning
I leaned on the turf,
I looked at the rock
Left dry by the surf
The work of the summer sun
James Lee the uncompleted quote is from James Lee
Do you know that I have never noticed this swimming pool
I use this lane every day
That is because it is not here
Molly stood up and dived into the pool
It is here look I am swimming
There is a small orchard in front of your house
Today there is a pool in front of my house
Have you read any of my books?
No
Why not?
You cannot buy them on the island
What about the internet?
They are in English I do not read English fluently
Then I shall translate them into Greek
Molly threw a tennis ball in the general direction of JJ
Stop bullying her
Come in and swim
I prefer to sit in the shade
I will join you Molly
Nausicaa jumped into the pool deliberately splashing her host
The long dead sailors
In the waters deep
Saw a maiden
And began to weep
Close your eyes what do you see
JJ woke up with a start
Both the women were stretched out on the loungers either side of him
Molly was feigning sleep
But Nausicaa was looking at him with her deep Greek eyes
Look at the pool what do you see?
The pool
Look at the centre of the pool what do you see?
The centre of the pool
Look at the ripples what do you think is causing them?
Possibly the breeze
Maybe but I think we are having a minor earth tremor
Nausicaa placed her hand on the tiled surface under the sun lounger
Place you hand upon the tile
The island is speaking to you
JJ laid his palm on the tile but felt little
The island is silent again
Molly the island has been speaking to me again
Did you feel anything JJ?
No
Perhaps we do not feel things because we are strangers
The island has no borders
In 1917 there was a major earthquake in the area which killed a number of islanders
There was also a great loss of life at sea
The long dead sailors
In the waters deep
Saw a maiden
And l began to sleep
Browning?
I was on the beach again in Margate
The woman in the multi-coloured dress
Was still naked
And walking towards the church that was no longer there
From my vantage I could see her wearing a pale grey dress
The beach was beginning to empty
And the debris of the day
Lay in front of me
Plastic bottles and newspapers
Abandoned beach toys
I looked at the sky
It was beginning to change colour
A gecko scuttled across the sand
It stopped
Watch the day from the very high
Close your eyes and touch the sky
Do you not think that she had the finest breasts you have ever seen?
Who?
Nausicaa
They were indeed fine
She reminded me of Helen of Troy
The name comes from The Odyssey
Odysseus was shipwrecked on the Isle of Scheria and was befriended by King Alcinous and his daughter Nausicaa
A banquet was arranged in his honour and it was there that Odysseus revealed his true identity
He was requested to tell the story of his wanderings and his time in the country of the Lotos eaters
Lotos eaters?
It is a plant that when eaten helps one to forget the past
In Margate the town clock struck twelve
Two cops were standing in its night shadow
We will put an end to this silliness
You are very right
This is a respectable town
Do you remember the woman in the jade vest?
Clearly
We should have arrested her
I agree
Her bottom reminded me of Helen of Troy
That is why I let her off with a warning
The woman in the pale grey dress was sitting in the car park where the church used to be
She was consuming a Lotos plant
With a little hot water
She could see the cops
Through the open doors of the church
The church was bathing in the waters of the Lotos plant
It wanted to forget its past
Molly looked out of the small window in JJ’s study
May I invite Nausicaa to supper tomorrow?
How long have you known her?
I only met her yesterday whilst swimming
I have spoken to her many times
Her father is a fisherman
He died in 1917
During the terrible tempest caused by the earthquake
Does she miss him?
She sees him everyday
All daughters miss their fathers
He was once the King of this island
He had five daughters
Each was called Miranda
But when the sixth arrived
He called her Nausicaa
Which angered the God’s
An because of this the earthquake arrived
The King was lured out to sea by the promise of a golden shoal
But this was a falsehood
And he died with many others within the fearsome waves
On what day did the earthquake arrive?
The 8th of July
Today is the 8th of July
They found his body and cremated it on the beach
The very beach from which you swim
I was so upset I could not watch and hid in my carriage
They removed his heart and it still resides to this day
In his daughter’s secret casket
I was in my Margate flat when there was a knock at the door
It was the cops
We have reason to believe that unsafe substances are being smoked and eaten in this flat
They are and we are all naked officer please come in
You are dressed sir
What do you see?
A jacket and trousers
Just you and me
There are two of you at my door
Three times six and many more
Does Molly live here?
Yes
May we speak to her?
No
Why?
Because she is with me in far off Greece
Would you please give her a message sir
What is the message?
That she reminds me of Helen of Troy and if she wants to dance around the town clock it is okay with the local police
I used the incident in my novel
I know
Have you read it?
No
They how do you know?
I read Greek extremely well
Write it again
Tell tell tell
I will sign your note book officer but your rhyme is rather forced you will need to work at the subtlety of your poetry it is mere doggerel at present
JJ and Molly walked through the orchard towards the lane that led to the beach
JJ decided that he would remove the cliché of this description at a later date
He fully intended to enjoy the day and had decided not to write
He never wrote on the 9th of July
As an absent minded servant had locked him in his carriage
Nausicaa was already on the beach
She rose and kissed them on each cheek
2×2 = 4+2 =6
JJ thinks that you have fine breasts Nausicaa
He wants to them to be on the dust cover of his latest book
His publishers are very keen to feature your breasts
Your breasts are also fine Molly
They are white and European
I am most flattered that you want to use my breasts to illustrate your new book but sadly I must decline the illustration
Why?
Because they are promised to the island
Look at those fishing boats what do you see?
Brightly coloured fishing boats ready for the morning sea
Examine the figureheads what do you see?
They are my breasts each on each of the boats
It brings the fishermen a fruitful passage and a safe return
If my fine breasts were to be found on the cover of your latest novel then we would risk making the God’s angry again
I have spoken to them and they are quite happy for a figurehead to be photographed and to be used as the main illustration on the cover on your new book
Whist the women were away
JJ searched through the ashes
Of the missing King
He searched and searched
For the golden ring
Have many books have you written?
Six
And you have been very successful
Quite successful
Do you have a secret?
No it was just luck
Being in the right place at the right time
Where is Margate?
On the Kent coast not that far from Dover
I am told it has a special light
It has
Like Venice?
Yes and no
Describe it to me
It is not an intense light as we have on this island but it is a very knowledgeable light
My father returned to it again and again
A waitress sat down next to JJ
Who was your father?
My father was an artist
What are you doing in Greece?
Serving food and drink to the tourists
How well do you know Margate?
I have never been to Margate
Do you paint?
I am poor and the only employment I have is the decoration of the fishing boats
Do you know Nausicaa?
Yes she is my sister
Is your name Miranda
Yes
Where are your other sisters?
They are here
JJ looked up
You are all identical
Yes we are all identical
Why is Nausicaa so different?
She is identical can you not see that?
No it is not all apparent
Nausicaa is very dark whereas you and your sisters are fairer as if you have originated in Northern Europe
We are as dark as our sister
We are all Greek
When do you all finish?
We have never started
Then be at my pool within half an hour
We do not finish to three
Then make your excuses as my publisher is vising the island
As normal I was sitting in the shadow of the lifeguards hut
The hut was painted yellow and red
Alcinous assists Odysseus and aids his return to Ithaca where he meets his daughter Molly who has been searching for him all over the Mediterranean for many years
Between them the kill and maim the remaining sailors who have been courting the chaste women of the island
The naked woman invites me into her studio
She is wearing the dress of many colours again
On the wall of her studio there is a large oil painting
That is almost complete
She has named it
Coastal Landscape with Fishermen Launching a Boat
It is the most beautiful painting I have ever seen
The naked woman has used only red
Brown and yellow
The effect is stunning
The world is ending as it begins
Why do you think the fishermen are launching their boats at sunset?
I would only be guessing
They know that the fish admire the Greek sunsets above all and are easily captured
Is your father on the boat?
Yes he is the figure nearest to me
Did he know he was going to die?
Very much
He knew he had offended the Gods
JJ was in his studio
He had just finished a large painting
Which he called
Coastal Landscape with Fishermen Launching a Boat
It showed a vivid sunset that occured in Margate in 1917
Margate was Molly’s home town
I was sitting in the shadow of the lifeguard’s hut
When a woman wearing a multi-coloured dress
Sat beside me
I looked at her as there was plenty of space on the beach
Do you mind?
No
I know it is improper but to appreciate the Margate Light one has to sit in the shadows
It is a very special light