It was quite well known in the village that I kept a bearded dragon in the Valencia Barn

During the colder months it would hibernate in the deep seas of straw that I had prepared

This was unusual as bearded dragons tended to migrate to warmer countries as the months withdrew

I had named the dragon Vienna Blue but did not disclose this to anybody for fear of ridicule

 

The barn had been built over eighty years ago but had been badly damaged during the war

My grandfather had helped to rebuild the barn with materials from the beach fortifications

This gave the barn a sturdy appearance and I could still find traces of bullet holes in the deep concrete

As a child this pleased me greatly but less so as I grew older and understood the carnage

 

Quite frequently my wife and I would cycle to the beach and rest on the massive fortifications

Above us the bearded dragons would drift on the sea winds unaware of the histories beneath their wings

It was not uncommon to see the fragile ghosts of those who did not return even on the brightest of days

This was something that we both got used to but could never ever fully accept