Nell: I see David and Harriet were busy exploring again.
Me: Yes. Look how green everything is.
Nell: David’s leading the way.
Me: I know. It’s unusual to see Harriet following. She’s usually running around.
Nell: She’s probably keeping an eye on him.
Me: Faye does that with Jonathan Sky. He’s such a dreamer.
Nell: What are your plans today?
Me: Kev and I are off to the Cottage Hotel this afternoon.
Nell: Why?
Me: My writer friend Michael Pantlin has a book launch.
Nell: What’s the title of the book?
Me: ‘Belonging to Myself’. It’s a brave and wonderful memoir.
Nell: How interesting.
Me: Michael had a very difficult relationship with his mother and was starved of love as a child. There was finally an unspoken reconciliation on her death bed but it was a very long time coming.
Nell: How sad.
Me: Yes. He moved from Liverpool to Holland when he was ten and has always had a foot in two countries.
Nell: Like you.
Me: Yes, I moved to Berlin when I was 18 and didn’t return to the UK until I was 47.
Nell: Maybe you should write your memoir?
Me: That’s what Michael said.
Nell: You were living in West Berlin when the Berlin Wall came down.
Me: I was.
Nell: You must have so many stories to tell.
Me: You know I do.
Nell: Think about it.
Me: Writing a memoir is a huge task.
Nell: It is.
Me: I admire Michael for having the courage to do it.
Nell: I’d like to read it.
Me: I could get you a signed copy but how can I give it to you?
Nell: Don’t worry. I’ll take it out of the library.
Me: You have a library?
Nell: We have everything.
Me: Of course. Sorry.
