Page 56 of One Summer

‘That’s Radigon and Goodithea,’ Betty says, giving them a wave. ‘Goodithea is the most ancient person on the island. Turning one-hundred-and-ten this year, but looks one-hundred-and-twenty. Radigon is the younger sister – she’s the sexy one.’

Radigon raises her hand in greeting, but Goodithea appears to be giving us a dirty look.

‘Is she angry with us?’ I say. ‘She’s sort of glaring.’

‘No, she’s just sleeping with her eyes open. She’s always done it. She had to have her eyes open with ten younger brothers prowling around, and her responsible for the lot of them. It’s just her and Radigon left now.’

We pass the bungalow and come to another one that has been painted electric blue.

‘This is mine,’ Betty says. ‘The Blue Bung. Bit of a famous landmark on the island. Come in.’

Suddenly, the vague feeling that I’ve forgotten something rises up and flicks me on the nose.

‘I forgot Ted! I should have brought him along for his morning walk. He’s probably barking the house down and giving himself heart failure. I need to get back.’

‘Oh, Ted’s fine. He never gets up until ten. He’ll still be asleep on your bed.’

‘Even so, I really should get back. I have eighty-seven snakes to check on.’

‘If you’re sure you don’t want a bit of lemon pudding for breakfast,’ Betty says. ‘I’ll walk you home.’

I tell her there’s no need, but she insists, and I am 100 per cent certain now that there is a very definite twinkle in her eye.

When we’re approaching my place, she hooks her arm in mine and says, ‘Come on, let’s try your neighbour again.’

I’d really rather not be introduced to my new neighbour when I’m still in my pyjamas, but she leads me down the path to the fabulous house and I feel myself swept along, caught by her current.

She buzzes the Ring doorbell, waits a few moments and then knocks on the door continuously.

Through the frosted glass, we see the outline of a tall, broad-shouldered person approaching and Betty beams with happiness.

When the door opens halfway, I catch a glimpse of a semi-naked man with just a tiny towel at his waist covering his modesty.

My eyes travel from the man’s navel to his eyes, and to his slate-coloured hair.

He is, indisputably, Cally Grey Pubes. Formerly known as Bandanna Man.

Fifty

Cords

I feel my jaw tense, but he looks even more mortified than me.

‘Oh dear, I caught you in the shower,’ Betty says, grinning. ‘Still, it’s not the first time I’ve almost caught you in the buff and I doubt it’ll be the last.’

She turns to me and says, confidentially, ‘Apart from his mother, I was the first woman who ever saw him naked.’

‘Dear god, stop, please!’

‘What – it’s true! I was there at your birth. They let me cut your cord. Anyway, I knocked earlier, but you didn’t answer,’ Betty carries on, oblivious to my awkwardness.

‘I was doing my exercises, and I had my earbuds in.’

‘Never mind, I had a nice walk with Mindy.’

‘Lindy,’ he corrects her, and she gives me a little smile that suggests she knows my name perfectly well.

‘You’re feeling better, then?’ I say. ‘I mean, you don’t look quite so contagious as yesterday.’

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