The First Forbidden Affair
Without Prejudice
There is a moment, always a moment when you can experience change, feel it, capture it in to your memory, A moment encased in amber that is warm and glowing and will stay in your heart forever. A rapture of a moment when you leave your body and become as one with your fate. i had one such moment in england when with friends I was running towards a fair.
we were 14 or 15 and full of the joy and energy of life. i ran with my friends across the common towards the fair, the air cold and crisp and the fair ahead was lit up with lights and warmth and magic. and as I ran I felt like I could run forever.
I drew ahead of my friends and ran and ran the air in my lungs lifting my feet and urging me on. My friends called out to me to slow down and I didn't want to, enjoying the feeling of my body working, my mind clear and happy. And I had slowed, rejoining them, ecstatic.
Another such moment came when i was 16. My parents had been in the UK, 5 years and we had decided to return to Australia, the only real home I knew. We were returning once again by boat, not the same boat that had ferried us across half a world 5 years earlier.
This was an English boat staffed by English sailors all very proper and welcoming. We had traversed the Atlantic this time calling in at Panama and Trinidad and Tabago.
We had endured sea sickness from the rough crossing of the Atlantic. That was far in our memories as we sailed into the harbour in Tahiti. Us kids, George, me and David and I were 18, 16 and 10, respectively. Mum and dad were with the other parents filling out forms for our disembarkation for the day.
My brothers and I stayed by the rail on the entertainment deck gazing down at the cool blue green sea below us. we were dressed up in our best clothes.
One of us not sure which decided we would jump the rail and drop to the sea. And that is what we did, fully clothed we scrambled over the rail and launched ourselves outwards holding hands at first. Our hands flew apart and half way down I realized how far it was to the water.
Glancing down, I panicked a little, it was so very far. The sun glinted into my eyes and the fast descent brought tears to my them. I felt like I was flying for the split second it took to hit the water. air whistling past my ears, and the entry into the water came with a massive pain all over.
But we did it and swam towards the back of the boat.Passengers were pointing us out and calling to us. George, Dave and I swam lazily then towards the dock. there was a sailor sitting there. I knew we were in for it so I hung back a little. the sailor conversed with my brothers and then spoke to me.
" Nice swim' he questioned.
"Yes, lovely", I said in my upper class Uk acquired Grammar school accent.
I lunged for the slippery green steps on the dock covered in barnacles.
I mustered up my dignity and defiance as the sailor crossed the dock and stood at the top of the steps. I reasoned we were just kids and just having fun. My silk sun dress was plastered to my body and water streamed off me as i too stood at the top of the steps.
The sailor asked me to sit on the edge of the dock with him and I did, the sun hot and blinding.
I braced myself for the ticking off I was about to get.
"Would you like to go out for lunch with me" He asked.
I looked at him and said shyly.
"i'll have to ask my parents"
"Good he said, I'll wait "
So I rushed up to the cabin, changed, and met my parents as they returned to the cabin.
They were cautious about me at 16 going out for lunch with a sailor, but george said he had met him and he seemed ok.
So I was allowed to go but had to take David with me as chaperone. derek Harper was the sailors name, From Cornwall, blonde hair, tanned and clear blue eyes. he had been watching me hurtling around the boat with my brothers, always with my brothers. he had never seen me alone and wanted to meet me.
I was charmed by him. he took us both for lunch and within half an hour my parents arrived at the bar we were at. Greeting and meeting derek and leaving us alone to chat. Of course fraternising with the passengers was not allowed but he had no care. I felt so alive and happy I had no care either.
Somewhere on my descent into the ocean i had left a little tomboy girl behind and become a woman and the adult version of my life was about to begin.
Love Janette
There is a moment, always a moment when you can experience change, feel it, capture it in to your memory, A moment encased in amber that is warm and glowing and will stay in your heart forever. A rapture of a moment when you leave your body and become as one with your fate. i had one such moment in england when with friends I was running towards a fair.
we were 14 or 15 and full of the joy and energy of life. i ran with my friends across the common towards the fair, the air cold and crisp and the fair ahead was lit up with lights and warmth and magic. and as I ran I felt like I could run forever.
I drew ahead of my friends and ran and ran the air in my lungs lifting my feet and urging me on. My friends called out to me to slow down and I didn't want to, enjoying the feeling of my body working, my mind clear and happy. And I had slowed, rejoining them, ecstatic.
Another such moment came when i was 16. My parents had been in the UK, 5 years and we had decided to return to Australia, the only real home I knew. We were returning once again by boat, not the same boat that had ferried us across half a world 5 years earlier.
This was an English boat staffed by English sailors all very proper and welcoming. We had traversed the Atlantic this time calling in at Panama and Trinidad and Tabago.
We had endured sea sickness from the rough crossing of the Atlantic. That was far in our memories as we sailed into the harbour in Tahiti. Us kids, George, me and David and I were 18, 16 and 10, respectively. Mum and dad were with the other parents filling out forms for our disembarkation for the day.
My brothers and I stayed by the rail on the entertainment deck gazing down at the cool blue green sea below us. we were dressed up in our best clothes.
One of us not sure which decided we would jump the rail and drop to the sea. And that is what we did, fully clothed we scrambled over the rail and launched ourselves outwards holding hands at first. Our hands flew apart and half way down I realized how far it was to the water.
Glancing down, I panicked a little, it was so very far. The sun glinted into my eyes and the fast descent brought tears to my them. I felt like I was flying for the split second it took to hit the water. air whistling past my ears, and the entry into the water came with a massive pain all over.
But we did it and swam towards the back of the boat.Passengers were pointing us out and calling to us. George, Dave and I swam lazily then towards the dock. there was a sailor sitting there. I knew we were in for it so I hung back a little. the sailor conversed with my brothers and then spoke to me.
" Nice swim' he questioned.
"Yes, lovely", I said in my upper class Uk acquired Grammar school accent.
I lunged for the slippery green steps on the dock covered in barnacles.
I mustered up my dignity and defiance as the sailor crossed the dock and stood at the top of the steps. I reasoned we were just kids and just having fun. My silk sun dress was plastered to my body and water streamed off me as i too stood at the top of the steps.
The sailor asked me to sit on the edge of the dock with him and I did, the sun hot and blinding.
I braced myself for the ticking off I was about to get.
"Would you like to go out for lunch with me" He asked.
I looked at him and said shyly.
"i'll have to ask my parents"
"Good he said, I'll wait "
So I rushed up to the cabin, changed, and met my parents as they returned to the cabin.
They were cautious about me at 16 going out for lunch with a sailor, but george said he had met him and he seemed ok.
So I was allowed to go but had to take David with me as chaperone. derek Harper was the sailors name, From Cornwall, blonde hair, tanned and clear blue eyes. he had been watching me hurtling around the boat with my brothers, always with my brothers. he had never seen me alone and wanted to meet me.
I was charmed by him. he took us both for lunch and within half an hour my parents arrived at the bar we were at. Greeting and meeting derek and leaving us alone to chat. Of course fraternising with the passengers was not allowed but he had no care. I felt so alive and happy I had no care either.
Somewhere on my descent into the ocean i had left a little tomboy girl behind and become a woman and the adult version of my life was about to begin.
Love Janette
