Encounters that nourish
This year, so far has been filled with gratifying encounters, with long-standing friends who now live far away. Spending time in Bangladesh with F&H allowed me to bond with their children, who previously I’ve seen for occasional half days interspaced with many, many months. Their seven year old daughter, N, took to me, even before I helped her with the consequences of her dodgy tummy. She is has a phenomenal ability to read what those around her are thinking and has her family (and house staff) a little around her finger, though there’s no real malice to her. She is her parents princess, but I understand how this arose, as they lost a child between her and M. M is straight forward, good natured; what you see is what you get. When tired he is a stroppy three year old with a ‘boyish’ anger in him that perturbs his mother’s peaceful nature, but mostly he’s happy interacting with all who will, playing games of words and laughing. B is the baby, with whom I was stuck in broken car, in the fast lane of the M4 last autumn when he was weeks old, and he is to be by ‘god’ child. I had to point out my agnosticism and that I would be unable to take on the ‘primary’ role of a God parent in the eyes of the church, hence cannot say as much in church. In fact, as one who was never christened, I’m not sure they would let me, even if I were to wish to. F&H still assured me that they would like me to have some special role, as one he can turn to anytime. What does one call such things? My Secularchild? I look forward to the development of this relationship.
For my birthday The Contessa came to stay, a treat indeed, then the weekend before last K arrived from N Zealand. She and her husband both occupy a special place in my heart. They brought to life my time in Cambridge, living in an ancient chapel with walls thicker than 300W of techno, and a river to retreat to when the sun cooked the flat plains to a hollow hardness. Their enquiring and ever-challenging natures encouraged me to be bigger than I was then: to try to be all of myself. Her visit was brief; a week’s sojourn in Europe to assess science policy, but we managed a good evening of chewing cud over Carluccio’s pasta, and I look forward to seeing them together sometime not too far from now.
I also had nephew from Scotland to stay. He is, apparently, quite like me in many things. We try to take account of others, don’t demand (though he requested Team America, and I obliged; indeed, I even laughed occasionally, between battles with eyelids), and we take in lots but not always the most obvious things.
This week, together with G, I’m to see an old flatmate from Edinburgh, who has split with his long term man. We will sit in some bar, gossip and bitch and I will return with all my edges nicely sharpened.