Amaryllis and Jonas her German cousin were walking on the slight chalk path that led to the farmhouse
On either side of them were barley fields nearing maturity
Amaryllis looked at the rough flowers that hid in the long grass on the edge of the crop fields
She picked a small red flower and handed it to her cousin
I will pick more red flowers for you if you count the cars and lorries that pass my house
In German or English what do you wish?
In German of course I like you counting in German
As the cousins walked past the ancient mile post near to where the chalk path forked a cheetah emerged from the barley field
It had a dead bird in its mouth
The bird had died accidently and the cheetah was carriying it towards the river which ran in the shadows of the valley not far from the farmhouse
eins
zwei
drei
vier
funf
sechs
Amaryllis was sitting in an armchair reading a book about Paul Klee called Magic Squares
She looked up and removed her glasses
I hope you did not count any buses
I counted the Swindon bus and the bus that terminates at Devizes
Then you will need to start again I told you not to include buses
For an instant Martin imagined his cousin naked and blushed when she caught his eye
Stop imagining me naked and start counting the cars and lorries and remember not to include the buses in either direction
If you get this right then I will let you watch me bathe this evening
Amaryllis returned to her book and her cousin turned towards the window
eins
zwei
drei
vier
funf
sechs
sieban
acht
neun
zehn
elf
zwolf
dreizehn
vierzehn
Rolf stopped counting
Why have you stopped?
Because there are no more cars and lorries on the road that passes this cottage
This is not a cottage but a farmhouse imagine them passing
eins
zwei
drei
vier
funf
sechs
sieban
acht
neun
zehn
elf
zwolf
dreizehn
vierzehn
Amaryllis took the dust cover from her book and placed it on the beige carpet next to her armchair
The irritated her cousin slightly as he did not like to see books without their dust covers and felt that his cousin had removed the cover to tease him
You may stop now
Rolf looked at the blue bus shelter that was located almost opposite the farm house
He watched as a woman of about fifty played a riff riff on her golden trumpet
She was barefoot and Martin could see her soiled feet keeping time
Come look at this there is a musician in the shelter for buses
She is always there I call her Lonely Martha
Do you speak to her?
No I have found no reason to do so
Does she live in your village?
No I do not really care where she comes from sometimes she is in the shelter and sometimes she is not
She is an interesting person and a talented musician
If you say so
May I cross the road and meet her?
If you must but she will not be there when you reach the shelter
Amaryllis was correct for as soon as Tomas reached the farm house gate he could see the woman was no longer in the bus shelter
He looked in both directions but the woman with the trumpet was not in view but he noticed a cheetah in the nearby cornfield carrying a dead bird in its mouth
There is a wild animal carrying a dead bird in its mouth
It is travelling towards the River Lethe
The River Lethe
The River Lethe
Come on you must have heard of the River Lethe even in Germany
No I have not heard of the River Lethe
Oh dear dear dear you poor boy it is the river that runs past our bathroom window if you were not so busy watching me bathe then you would have noticed it
I have not seen this river
Amaryllis took her cousins hand and led him up the stairs and into the small bathroom
She opened the window
This is the River Lethe
It is just a river
No no it is more than a river
Do you swim in it?
Sometimes but not very often and certainly not after the sun sets
Why?
The river you see is a river of forgetfulness and if you study it during the hour before the night arrives then you will see the ghostly remains of the dead drifting aimlessly awaiting passage towards the afterlife
They resemble fruit-flies and will have to taste the waters of the river before they can pass through and enjoy their new life
Is that true?
It is my understanding
What would happen if you bathed in the river during this time?
Nothing I suppose it might just disturb the passage of the dead
Can we watch tonight?
That might be difficult Karl as I take a bath during that hour
Maybe you can bathe later
No I always take a bath at that time
I will count up to a hundred in Gernan which you will enjoy we have never been that far before
No either you stay with me in this room during that hour or you sit by the river and watch the dead pass through
It is your choice
Amaryllis and Jonas her German cousin were walking on the slight chalk path that led to the farmhouse
On either side of them were barley fields nearing maturity
Amaryllis looked at the rough flowers that hid in the rough grass on the edge of the crop fields
She picked a small red flower and handed it to her cousin
I will pick more red flowers for you if you count the cars and lorries that pass the cottage for me
In German or English what do you wish?
In German of course I like you counting in German
As the cousins walked past the ancient mile post a cheetah emerged from the barley field it had a dead bird in its mouth
The bird had died accidently and the cheetah was carrying it towards the river which ran deeply in the valley not far from the farmhouse
The cheetah caught the cousins up and dropped the bird at their feet
Where is the river of the dead?
Over there next to the farmhouse
Do you live in that farmhouse?
I have always lived in that farmhouse
Who is with you today?
My cousin Josef he is visiting me I think he is slightly in love with me
This blackbird was in love once
What happened?
The usual it left its nest this morning and was hit by a car
How sad
I found it dead near the church
Does its partner know?
No as far as it is concerned the female is still deeply in love
She is waiting for her partner to return
Do you love your cousin?
I admire Amaryllis but I am not sure that I am in love with her
You love my body and take any opportunity to see me naked I saw you in the wardrobe this morning you were not very quiet
I am sorry that was of poor character I will leave tomorrow
Don’t worry it does not bother me I am the same as anybody else, your trumpet player the woman in the gift shop the vicars wife your sister if you had one
It was dishonourable of me
Tell you what Paul the cheetah and I will go to the river and prepare for the passing of the bird
You can break the news to its partner
Where would I find the partner?
In the tree next to the inn
So there is no punishment for me?
Well the next time you join me in the bathroom I will require you to wear a blindfold as punishment
No I will sit by the river of the dead
But you must break the news to the blackbird’s partner be quick and tell her to join us here within the hour
Will she have eggs?
I do not know but if she does I want you to protect them from scavengers
After about fifteen minutes the partner of the blackbird flew into the garden where Amaryllis and the cheetah were resting with the dead bird
It had been placed on a palm mat
Love is so transient
A mere glimpse some say
Have you ever been in love?
Only with myself
The cheetah smiled at Amaryllis’s wit although he thought it slightly misplaced
As the night hour drew closer the souls of the dead began to congregate above the waters of the river
Some swooped and drank from the waters and vanished without incident
Amaryllis lowered the dead bird into the flowing water and watched as the small mat floated away
Soon it was out of view
Toni sat alone on the bank of the river watching the fruit flies flit flat flit flat flit above the slow flowing waters
The sky was beginning to lose its glow and darkness was descending
The only strong light was coming from the bathroom window which overlooked the river bank
He thought of the blackbird that had left the world only a few hours earlier and wondered where it was
A fruit fly landed in the crow hole at his feet and looked at him
Do you not recognise me Jonas?
No you are just a fruit fly
I am Richard your teacher do you not remember me
But you have been dead for many years you killed yourself after your book was attacked you could not stand the opprobrium it attracted
That was the final straw
Was I missed?
I missed you but I am not sure whether many really understood you although to tell you the truth I was angry with you when you committed suicide
I had thought about suicide for many years the book was just a catalyst as there was no beauty left in my life
There is beauty all around us the fields that surround this cottage the darkening sky this river my cousin naked behind that bathroom window
She teases you
I know but I play along
She does not love you she is only fond of you
I know but I play along when I come here I come here to share the beauty of the area
Germany is a beautiful country
I know and I love my people but there is something about this area that draws me
I no longer found Germany beautiful I found it polluted
Explain
No you will find out soon enough that beauty needs to be nourished acceptance is not enough
I can remember a park in my home town which I loved greatly I spent a great deal of this time in this park both as a child and as an adult and then I left my town to go to the big city and when I returned some years later the park was no more
A large estate has been built on it which had been populated by ugly people the beauty of the park was dead and only existed in my memory
Man nourishes beauty and man destroys beauty but man does not understand beauty do you think your cousin really knows how beautiful she is?
She knows she is beautiful
Then why does she tease you?
I do not know
It is because she is insecure with her beauty she knows that in sixty years that she will no longer be beautiful to look at
Are you saying that she cannot cope with her beauty?
Exactly and that is why she can be spiteful and teases you with her nudity
You think that you are dominating her when you watch her bathe or when you hide in cupboards
But she is dominating you
She is grasping your drive
Should I do anything?
No what you do is quite innocent but always consider beauty do not just accept it
I shall no longer play games with her
That is your choice
Is it wrong that I find the hills and fields that surround this cottage beautiful?
They ask little of you apart from that you care for them
I am in love with this area
That is evident
What shall I do?
Do nothing no let me correct myself do one thing just one thing
What is that?
Release me
How should I do that?
Step on me crush me into this crows hole
Would you be born again?
No I would just accept oblivion
Have you been here long?
Since the day I killed myself
Then why do you not drink of the waters?
I have but I do not move it is the same for the trumpet player
You see she is a trapped soul like me
Did she kill herself?
No she killed her mother in a fit of rage
Amaryllis walked into the garden wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and a vest her hair was wet from her bath
I thought I would find you here
Who were you talking to?
My ex teacher Richard he is in the crow hole at your feet and wishes that I crush him so that he may travel to oblivion
Then do so
Why?
There is beauty all around us if he does not want to possess this beauty then send him to oblivion
You hide behind your words
Martin cupped the fruit fly in his hand and waded into the river and placed the lost soul on an overhanging branch
Why did you not crush me?
You have killed yourself once in despair at the lack of beauty and understanding this will not happen again
Whether you stay here for a hundred seconds or a hundred years you will be surrounded by beauty whether it be the hills and the fields or my cousin’s transient beauty
You will pass to the other side with the word beauty on your lips when time occasions your departure
With difficulty Kurt made his way to the riverbank next to the farmhouse
Amaryllis helped her cousin regain his balance
You are soaking wet I will run a bath for you and this time it is my turn to watch and if you are good no very good I might just share the bath you
As he walked towards the backdoor of the farmhouse Karl looked over he shoulder and saw a glowing fruit fly plunge from the tree and immerse itself in the river
Amaryllis and Jonas her German cousin were walking on the slight chalk path that led to the farmhouse
On either side of them were barley fields nearing maturity
Amaryllis looked at the rough flowers that hid in the rough grass on the edge of the crop fields
She picked a small red flower and handed it to her cousin
I will pick more red flowers for you if you count the cars and Lorries that pass the cottage for me
In German or English what do you wish?
In German of course I like you counting in German
eins
zwei
drei
vier
funf
sechs
Both cousins then started laughing and ran wildly into the barley fields gradually disappearing from view
The only sound that be heard above the gentle breeze was the sound the sad woman playing a riff riff roll on her golden trumpet