18.

April 27th.

Aubergine coloured hair seems to be the trend with women of a certain age here, Look closely and you will see the blueish pink tinge on the scalps. Marie has a wedge of dark reddish black coiffure and at this very moment I'm watching her toil up the red dust track to join Emile in the white Renault van. Her pinny sits nicely on the table top of her stomach, which also raises her skirt to practically mini level. The effect is finished off with short green wellies.

I feel a surge of nostalgia; a grandmother memory moment. To fight off nostalgia one has to not yearn to go back and put things right; merely remember, like watching a picture show.

Looking at an old photograph, I can still remember precisely the feel of the sun, the look of the light, a black and white picture. M. stretches his hand out to touch a plump baby’s leg and I take that moment with the camera; including the scattered toys, the wooden garden table, the old gym benches around it, the ducks rifling amongst the grasses. Skeins of nostalgia are there...