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)