|
...guy I've just met called Bruno, and an older woman, Louise. We watch children dive to showoff for us, men who work with coconut shells, or move stones, or lie in hammocks, or women bathing in the river.
"Great idea, the garland," says Bruno. "I must remember a present for my mother, otherwise, no forgiveness."
"Forgiveness for what?"
"Your parents forgive you yet for leaving your job? How can I put it? This English language ... they have to forgiveness me for being moi, not their ideal boy." Bruno waves his hands in the air, makes Louise and me laugh.
"I want the perfection of this breeze, the sleepiness of this day, this unrolling travelogue, to continue for ever. Let's forget our parents," I say.
"The tourist manifesto of Mark," Bruno says.
"And beyond? What's ahead?" This from Louise. She's like my parents--my Dad always saying, keep your eye on the ball, my boy.
The crew moors the boat and everyone goes ashore to a restaurant set up under palm trees with rough tables and benches. We all line up at a bucket with a dipper to wash our fight hand before eating. I'm left-handed, so I remind myself to eat with my right hand.
The waiters set banana-leaf plates and show us how to rinse our leaf with a little mineral water, and flap it a bit to get rid of the excess water. Then they spoon rice and curry, chutneys and sauces from containers onto our leaves. Grilled fish too. I'm so hungry I forget the river could be polluted.
"A little biit of paradee," says Bruno. I know he's exaggerating his accent but I don't get the paradee. "Paradise," he says, tapping my cheek with his hand. I think I might be blushing, and glance around to see if anyone has noticed. He's got these eyes, blue, that you'd expect to be brown, with his dark hair and tanned skin. They've got a look for me, or maybe a question.
Back on the boat after lunch, I sit with Louise. The crew straighten the plastic chairs into rows with an aisle down the middle.
"This is my big escape," I say to her.
I wonder...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
More articles from Quadrant
David Day's defence mythology., November 01, 2004
Laws against obesity and other sins.(Society), November 01, 2004
How Woodstock passed me by.(Devine), November 01, 2004
Why the Queen is not our head of state.(The Constitution), November 01, 2004
Choosing schools: government v non-government.(Education), November 01, 2004
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
%20%20&position=1)