36

Session 12 (17/9 – 7.12 a.m.):

He’s been expecting the whole thing to fade away
that he’ll come to with a start
snap out of it
or into it, whatever
but nothing happens
he keeps on lying there

Having checked he has no clothes
no possessions
left in a little pile above the tideline
Annie drapes him in her towel

– You’d better come back with me
he doesn’t welcome it, exactly
too dazed for that, disoriented
but it certainly seems the best thing to do
to get out of this burning sun
shield his rapidly reddening skin
get washed up, fed
the other things she keeps on promising him
as they make their slow way along the dusty road up the hill

Once they get there
& he’s had a cold shower
& got dressed in some fairly unisex
though far too small
overalls & t-shirt
they sit down to scrambled eggs

Now why do I remember those?
he wonders
why’s that name still there
still ready to be accessed?
tossed salad & scrambled eggs
he eats them before noticing he still knows how