Sunday, May 29

It did start raining again yesterday, despite the blue skies in the afternoon. It also rained heavily through the night and again this morning. I managed to get to Udaya’s house to collect a parcel and back again in a brief gap. Now the sun has come out and there is a light summery drizzle.

I decide to go to the beach anyway.

As I walk down towards Abhi’s Cafe I pass the abandoned motorbike which three geese have decided to guard. They watch me as I pass, and one sits down as if to suggest that it has decided that I pose no danger.

I will meet Michael fronting a restaurant I don’t recall seeing before. He invites me in and then turns and notices that it has no spare seats. Indian tourists fill the promenade, wandering up and down eating ice creams. Leo has no room either; not unless I want to share a table.

I walk right down the beach to the Crab Club. That end of the beach has little or no traffic, so I sit there and read Edward O. Wilson’s short collection of essays, Every Species Is A Masterpiece.

As I walk back I notice that Leo has completely emptied.