You can have all the riches in the world

But boredom can eat away at your very soul

Are you bored Stan

No

We have a nice apartment here in London

In a way we lead the lives we want

We work hard

We travel hard

My sister is in Egypt at present

The temperature is over one hundred degrees

We are in for a cold snap

Possibly snow

Where is she

Cruising on the Nile

When I was younger I visited Egypt with my family

We sailed down the Nile and visited Kitchener’s Island

Did you visit the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings

Very much

Was it hot

It was in June so you can imagine the heat

But it was superb I remember it clearly

How old were you when you went

Fifteen

I was taken to Palmyra by my parents when I was fifteen

There is a connection between both places

What is that

Daniel Martin

Daniel Martin

Yes

Who is Daniel Martin

It is a book by John Fowles

My mother gave me copy to read on the trip

Oh that Daniel Martin

Yes I have a few first editions over there

What is the connection Stan

The novel is set in both places

And one of the lead characters shares your name

I would like to go on a Nile cruise

I will ask Anne of her experience

We could be Daniel and Jane instead of Stan and Jane

Sounds fun

I think that travel is the fluid of the soul Stan

That is very profound

We have travelled and not travelled

Our jobs take us here and there

But we have not really travelled

I would like to up sticks and travel the world

Quit our jobs and just fuck off

I agree but a great deal of our income comes from our jobs

We are in a prison with transparent walls

Rather like this apartment

It has commanding views

But it is also a prison

Stan

What

Are you off to La La Land again

All I am saying is that our lifestyle is governed by our income

It is as simple as that

The flip side is that we could just exist

Trapped on a awful crime ridden council estate

I love your social consciousness Jane

Jane Jane spoilt little Jane

Your parents warned me about you

Fuck you Stan

Accepted

(Jane Smiles are playfully kicks Stan with her bare feet)

Who is Jane Smiles

She is a typo

The writer made an error

This fiction has been carelessly edited

Do you know I took Mandy to St P the other week just to show her the beautiful station

It was very busy and we shared a coffee and watched people pass but my attention was gained by a youngish couple who were obviously travelling

The guy was an American and judging by the flag on the girl’s backpack she was from Brazil

The girl was very beautiful

Brazilian girls are normally rather beautiful

Especially those of an European heritage

This one certainly was God’s favourite child

Tall endless tanned legs the whole works

Why were you jealous of her looks as you are also God’s favourite child

It was not that I was not jealous of her looks

I am comfortable in my own skin as you well know

I was jealous of the girl because of her freedom as she and her man were like characters from The Drifters

That is your favourite book

It is one of them

Here I was entertaining Mandy on expenses in a posh establishment at St P

Life was good

Life was very good

But I felt that my feet were encased in concrete

This was also my prison

I just wanted to travel like the couple near me

END OF PART ONE

PART TWO

Here we are Jane

Thirty countries

Has this changed your life

Do you feel free

Yes

But I feel homesick at the same time

I miss our apartment

I miss my friends

I even miss my job

You have no need to worry

As this is only a dream

A dream

THE DREAM ENDS