I had always enjoyed the visits of my cousin Susan
Whose sunny personality brightened up my day
She was a couple of years older than I was
And used to share the smallest bedroom with me
There was no other options as my uncle and aunt
Took possession of my parents room and my parents
Well you know how it goes it was the classic domino effect
Some might have found this a little strange
Cousins sharing a room but they need not have worried
As we slept in sensible night wear approved by the puritans in the house
That was until the hot summer of 1976 when the nights were like the days
As normal we changed in the bathroom and retired on happy terms
But during that night I became so hot that I abandoned my nightwear
In the morning I would just stay under the covers until I was alone
That was what was supposed to happen but soon after dawn
I heard some unusual bird noises coming from the garden which I could not easily identify
My curiosity became such that I turned around intending to look out of the window
If I was quiet I reasoned nobody would hear me especially Sue
I was in for the greatest shock of my life as standing there in front of me
As naked as the day she was born was my unconcerned cousin
I tried to speak but my words would not form easily
It was nothing but a dream I was dreaming a wicked dream
Eventually I came to my senses and asked her what she was doing
She enquired about the mystery birds and asked me to look at them
I stood up in all my glory which caused a smile to flicker across her lips
In all we must have stood there for about five minutes discussing the birds
And then it happened as her mother quietly entered our room for some reason
We explained that we were bird watching as they were birds of beautiful song
And then we both slipped into our respective beds and as soon as Sue’s shocked mother had left the room
We both began laughing whilst trying not to wake the house
At breakfast Sue and I acted as if nothing had happened
Nothing had happened as it was quite natural and very innocent
My father who was a self proclaimed expert on birds identified the culprits
As Neon Green Parrakeets most likely fugitives from a nearby aviary
I never shared a room with Susan again as we had both somehow sinned
Susan and her family now live in Bexhill and we live in Hastings
Our families see each other from time to time
A couple of years ago I asked her about that enchanted morning
As we both cannot now see a Neon Green Parrakeet
Without recalling this ridiculous but hilarious incident