That afternoon we painted the garden chairs a brilliant white

We had planned to walk but it was too hot

Aunt Mimi was sitting on the jetty with her feet dangling in the lake

Quite often her friends swam from the jetty

But she was alone and reading poetry

Brutal French poetry

Which seemed so distant from the day

The beach was perhaps half an hour away

But my car had developed a fault

And the mechanic was not due

For a couple of days

 

Did you like it?

Yes I could feel the heat in your writing

It was based on my holiday last year

Where did you stay?

At Simon’s villa in Southern France

I should have come with you

You were invited

I think I would have enjoyed myself

 

Extract from Cape Town by Annie Raw Till (2017)