fire risk, which I suppose is fair enough – but other than that, since I own the lease on the land, there is nothing to pay apart from the
peppercorn ground rent. I live on my wits and what practical skills I have. Also Strawberry sometimes gives me a few coins for letting her sleep in the cabin.’
‘I’ve not seen anything of her recently.’
‘She’s been staying in Bristol with Troy for a while, but she’ll be back. Sometimes she earns a little money – busking or waitressing. She always tries to give something
to me. Which I accept largely so that she doesn’t feel indebted to me. But it’s all hand to mouth.’
‘How about the Karmann?’
‘A gift from a friend. Well, not so much a gift. The man owed me money and he didn’t have any, so he gave me the car. Which was worth about a quarter of his debt. Still, it was
better than nothing. Talking of Strawberry – I understand she dropped in to see you the other day.’
‘Yes.’
‘Something of a compliment. She’s usually slow to “reach out” – as they like to say in California. What did you make of her?’
‘She’s too thin.’
‘Anything else?’
‘She smelled of blood.’
‘Probably that time of month. She doesn’t believe in tampons or sanitary towels. Uses moss or leaves or something. Anything that comes to hand. Tree bark, I shouldn’t wonder.
Unsanitary towels, I call them. She just bleeds. Lets it return to the earth. Claims that menstrual blood is good for the soil.’
I felt discomfited by this revelation. I had very little knowledge of female anatomy or biological processes. My mother and father had never talked about it, and such matters were not mentioned
at school or addressed on television.
‘Anything else?’
‘She looks like she’d break easily.’
‘Now there you’re entirely wrong. Strawberry is very, very strong. She has the most remarkable will-power. Nothing will divert her from her path once she’s set on it. I admire
her greatly, although I certainly don’t agree with all her choices. But then, mistakes are a kind of fertilizer for good decisions, which will come as the seasons change. The thing is to keep
moving forward. The Zen masters say, “Go left or go right, but don’t dither.”’
He checked his watch.
‘On the subject of dithering, I need to be going, and I still have to get changed. Are you coming?’
‘I’m meant to be studying.’
‘Who was it said, “History is bunk”?’
‘Henry Ford.’
‘There you are. From the great man’s mouth. Your lift leaves in five minutes, if you want it.’
This time, I wasn’t difficult to convince. I pulled on my baseball boots. When Henry reappeared he was wearing white linen pyjamas – ‘everyday wear in Rishikesh’. I
followed him out on to the deck and over to the Karmann Ghia. When we reached it, I felt Henry’s hand resting on my shoulder.
‘Can you drive?’
‘No. Well – I can. I just don’t have a licence. I’ve driven my dad’s Anglia round the local gasworks, though. And I stole a car once after my mum died and crashed
it.’
I hoped Henry would be intrigued by this and eager to hear the story of my escapades, but he remained impassive. It occurred to me that Ray had probably told him all about my exploits
anyway.
‘Why don’t you give the Ghia a spin?’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘Not at all.’
‘It’s illegal.’
‘That didn’t stop you before, apparently. Anyway, it’s not illegal in my field. I own the lease on everything from here to the fence.’ He gestured towards the enclosed
perimeter, maybe half a mile away. ‘Beyond that, guess who the land belongs to?
‘The government? The Church?’
‘You’re close. Wesley Toshack. God knows how many acres he’s bought up around here. I’m like a little sore, a pimple on the chin of his empire. He doesn’t like it.
Cut off his access to the river, where all the most valuable land is.’
‘Valuable for what?’
‘House-building.
peppercorn ground rent. I live on my wits and what practical skills I have. Also Strawberry sometimes gives me a few coins for letting her sleep in the cabin.’
‘I’ve not seen anything of her recently.’
‘She’s been staying in Bristol with Troy for a while, but she’ll be back. Sometimes she earns a little money – busking or waitressing. She always tries to give something
to me. Which I accept largely so that she doesn’t feel indebted to me. But it’s all hand to mouth.’
‘How about the Karmann?’
‘A gift from a friend. Well, not so much a gift. The man owed me money and he didn’t have any, so he gave me the car. Which was worth about a quarter of his debt. Still, it was
better than nothing. Talking of Strawberry – I understand she dropped in to see you the other day.’
‘Yes.’
‘Something of a compliment. She’s usually slow to “reach out” – as they like to say in California. What did you make of her?’
‘She’s too thin.’
‘Anything else?’
‘She smelled of blood.’
‘Probably that time of month. She doesn’t believe in tampons or sanitary towels. Uses moss or leaves or something. Anything that comes to hand. Tree bark, I shouldn’t wonder.
Unsanitary towels, I call them. She just bleeds. Lets it return to the earth. Claims that menstrual blood is good for the soil.’
I felt discomfited by this revelation. I had very little knowledge of female anatomy or biological processes. My mother and father had never talked about it, and such matters were not mentioned
at school or addressed on television.
‘Anything else?’
‘She looks like she’d break easily.’
‘Now there you’re entirely wrong. Strawberry is very, very strong. She has the most remarkable will-power. Nothing will divert her from her path once she’s set on it. I admire
her greatly, although I certainly don’t agree with all her choices. But then, mistakes are a kind of fertilizer for good decisions, which will come as the seasons change. The thing is to keep
moving forward. The Zen masters say, “Go left or go right, but don’t dither.”’
He checked his watch.
‘On the subject of dithering, I need to be going, and I still have to get changed. Are you coming?’
‘I’m meant to be studying.’
‘Who was it said, “History is bunk”?’
‘Henry Ford.’
‘There you are. From the great man’s mouth. Your lift leaves in five minutes, if you want it.’
This time, I wasn’t difficult to convince. I pulled on my baseball boots. When Henry reappeared he was wearing white linen pyjamas – ‘everyday wear in Rishikesh’. I
followed him out on to the deck and over to the Karmann Ghia. When we reached it, I felt Henry’s hand resting on my shoulder.
‘Can you drive?’
‘No. Well – I can. I just don’t have a licence. I’ve driven my dad’s Anglia round the local gasworks, though. And I stole a car once after my mum died and crashed
it.’
I hoped Henry would be intrigued by this and eager to hear the story of my escapades, but he remained impassive. It occurred to me that Ray had probably told him all about my exploits
anyway.
‘Why don’t you give the Ghia a spin?’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘Not at all.’
‘It’s illegal.’
‘That didn’t stop you before, apparently. Anyway, it’s not illegal in my field. I own the lease on everything from here to the fence.’ He gestured towards the enclosed
perimeter, maybe half a mile away. ‘Beyond that, guess who the land belongs to?
‘The government? The Church?’
‘You’re close. Wesley Toshack. God knows how many acres he’s bought up around here. I’m like a little sore, a pimple on the chin of his empire. He doesn’t like it.
Cut off his access to the river, where all the most valuable land is.’
‘Valuable for what?’
‘House-building.
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