1984

           Itwasthreeorfourmonthsaftertheyweremarried. TheyhadlosttheirwayonacommunityhikesomewhereinKent. Theyhadonlylaggedbehindtheothersforacoupleofminutes,buttheytookawrongturning,andpresentlyfoundthemselvespulledupshortbytheedgeofanoldchalkquarry. Itwasasheerdropoftenortwentymetres,withbouldersatthebottom. Therewasnobodyofwhomtheycouldasktheway. AssoonassherealizedthattheywerelostKatharinebecameveryuneasy. Tobeawayfromthenoisymobofhikersevenforamomentgaveherafeelingofwrong-doing. Shewantedtohurrybackbythewaytheyhadcomeandstartsearchingintheotherdirection. ButatthismomentWinstonnoticedsometuftsofloosestrifegrowinginthecracksofthecliffbeneaththem. Onetuftwasoftwocolours,magentaandbrick-red,apparentlygrowingonthesameroot. Hehadneverseenanythingofthekindbefore,andhecalledtoKatharinetocomeandlookatit. 

           ‘Look,Katharine! Lookatthoseflowers.Thatclumpdownnearthebottom. Doyouseethey’retwodifferentcolours?’ 

           Shehadalreadyturnedtogo,butshedidratherfretfullycomebackforamoment. Sheevenleanedoutovertheclifffacetoseewherehewaspointing. Hewasstandingalittlebehindher,andheputhishandonherwaisttosteadyher. Atthismomentitsuddenlyoccurredtohimhowcompletelyalonetheywere. Therewasnotahumancreatureanywhere,notaleafstirring,notevenabirdawake. Inaplacelikethisthedangerthattherewouldbeahiddenmicrophonewasverysmall,andeveniftherewasamicrophoneitwouldonlypickupsounds. Itwasthehottestsleepiesthouroftheafternoon. Thesunblazeddownuponthem,thesweattickledhisface. Andthethoughtstruckhim...