Day 422 | Carbarup Road: halfway between Kendenup and Mt Barker, ie, absolutely nowhere
62 km | Heading west total: 15,114 km
A shadow.
For the first time since I left Esperance 19 days ago the day began with sunshine and a shadow. Actually I followed my own shadow westwards.
There’s been a few shadows in my life but I have the useful propensity to close doors on them, quite successfully, at least in the medium term. It’s a coping device for the solitary, close the door and then you ain’t required to think about it.
I had the door closed for me by my last partner of 4 years, (that seems the limit to their exasperation with me, when they finally realise they are unlikely to mould me into the true partner of their dreams. Sorry Princess, that ain’t going to happen.)
I arrived home after 2 weeks respite in NZ to find she had moved out, and stripped the place bare. No, that’s not true. Quite thoughtfully I had a solitary plate, a knife, fork, spoon, a single pot etc. The bed I made 10 years ago had gone but there was a single mattress on the floor of the spare room.
Three front loading washing machines gone in 10 years.
I prefer to think of the great times, of which there were many in the first three years: cherry kisses; she providing a simultaneous interpreting of the intense dialogue in Kieślowski’s Decalogue series of 10 short films; seeing the Three Sisters rock formation pop out of the fog at Katoomba; or looking excitedly at Saturn at an observatory at Cowra on the same trip to Sydney.
Sometimes it is better to forget the shadows and just close the door.