I have spent several days in limbo. Separated from my companion and my usual routine I have achieved very little. In my new largely sedentary lifestyle, I have however reacquainted myself with satellite TV and its frightening array of televisual fodder. As I write “Murder She Wrote” has just started. Its opening scene shows a blind female sculptor forming something from clay. She looks off screen in that way actors have of signifying sightlessness and says “I see with my hands now”. I have a sense of foreboding. There is still no news from Bath in regard to the return of my work. I have determined to email a few more contacts in the hope that University cutbacks have not struck the arts programming. As far as Whitstable goes, the films are now more or less finished. I have sent copies to Sue and she has set her minions to finding appropriate locations. Yesterday I was finally able to meet with my companion again. We have been pining a little and had hoped to spend some time relaxing together unfortunately before long she mislaid her phone and much of the rest of the day was spent in its search. I finally located it in a half open drawer of an ornate dresser in the studio, but this was after dark and she had already returned to our lodgings in Ipswich. Later I received the following letter.
“Dear Darling
You are clever! Christ, how weird, I am obviously a serious candidate for senility as I have absolutely no recollection whatsoever of even going near the dresser. Thank you very much darling. I am in Rasputin’s now. I came last night but a Bond villain was here in place of the usual friendly woman with the long eyelashes.
He said “NO INTERNET. But you need a drink?” to which I misunderstood and said: “erm no I’m going to Tesco thank you”, “no a PROPER drink” etc ensued for a bit until I ran out and he said: “Don’t be scared littel girl” Chilling.
Anyway I went back today and a nice lady with the hair the colour of those Alpine aggressive squirrels is here and she is telling me about her slack beauty regime.
I looked out of the window this morning and saw the pate of the man below and the pink and white hair of his lady. They are the same people. She had one of those extra large fags on the go, the kind that look like albino magic wands.
The Portuguese (the neighbours to our left) were at it last night and he must have learnt a new sound that sounds like a lion cub trying to roar. She laughed at him.
I woke up at about two and stared at the stars which soothed me and tried to hold Dougal but he is so flat now and I didn’t want to risk squeezing his kapok out of his duodendal (sic?) sinus.
I re-made the Alcatraz Alex but he was a bit flat too and I knew I only had a few hours to wait for the seagulls to wake up.
Going to get breakfast in a minute maybe at ‘Sunrise’ and then get the train.
I miss you and love you. Thank you very much for finding my phone darling. You are the greatest man I know.
PS saw Jeremy Deller in a film in the Sainsbury Centre and he was vile-sinewy and creepy-I take it all back.
Lots of love Your Companion”
