|
August 24 2007 - Letter To Felix No.2
|
Oh... Flexi, The most extraordinary things have been happening, not least of which is that you are well on your way to being recognised as the STAR you are! When you popped your clogs; in the midst of my unbearable grief, I said to several friends, 'out of the pain of this loss I believe something very creative will emerge.' And guess what gorjus? IT HAS!!!!! I was recently contacted by the editor of The Herald, an extremely up market newspaper, which is published in Scotland, and he wants to publish an edited version of my blog from when I first had the idea of coming to Africa to the present day; and it is the story of our relationship! How d'ya like them apples?!? Because of you Flex, I'm going to be a published writer, and I'm more excited than I can remember being for a very long time. I write for me really; the fact that people read and seem to like what I have to say is such an enormous and unexpected bonus. I love knowing that I can communicate via the written word; Jane Austin I ain't, but being able to communicate is surely the aim? We're going to be in the magazine section of the Saturday edition sometime in September, and I really am giddy with excitement. In this frame of mind, I committed myself to appearing in a one-woman show at the VMF on the 11th, so it would be wonderful if the article appeared on the same day as I do my show. I'm doing it on the patio with the fire lit behind me, the audience seated slightly below me, and I'm wearing the most outrageous frock this side of Bognor Regis. There's an amazing Indian shop in Tzaneen, the only shop to go to when a girl wants something really special to wear. I was there a few weeks ago with Indy when she suddenly said, 'Jackson, have you seen this dress?' I turned to look at it and screamed; it was the most amazing frock I had seen for many a year. White silk, with silver stars and bugle beads embroidered all over it; it was the sort of frock Marilyn Monroe would have worn in her '50's heyday, and totally unsuitable for a woman of 63. So, I bought it... 'But where are you going to wear it?' asked Indy. 'You live in a tent in the bush, not a location exactly packed with opportunities for a girl to wear full evening dress.' 'Trust me baby I replied, 'there WILL be an opportunity. And guess what? it seems I may have been right... So in order to wear the frock, I have to do a one-woman show, and I'm thrilled. We're trying to raise money to pay for new enclosures, so all the ticket money goes to the monkeys, and for that reason and that reason only, I want it to be the best show I've ever done. I loathe enclosures, but as we have to have them, I want them to be as big and as close to their natural environment as possible. But most of all I want to them to be in the Vervet forest (which we have yet to purchase) swinging in the trees and being monkeys in their natural environment. Oh! How I want that; as do all the volunteers here; that's all we want for our monkeys, that they be free and in their wild, passionate, vibrant, secret home in the forest. The other amazing thing that has happened Flex, is that I've moved into my cottage, which actually looks like a cottage despite being two 3m x 4m garden sheds pushed together with the middle section taken out. It has a very pleasing shape and bares more than a passing resemblance to 'Hansel and Gretel's' cottage in the woods. I've fallen totally in love with it; it's completely transformed my life: I'm writing this sitting at my desk, the candles are lit, Candy is asleep on the bed, the sky is thick with stars, and this is the first time I can recall being alone for many a moon. Flexi, the 11th has come and gone, and I'm now doing the show this Saturday the 18th instead. I'm really looking forward to it - I couldn't have got it together by the 11th - but now that the (brilliant) poster is up and the tickets have been printed, I realise that it's going to happen and I find I'm very excited! I have no clear idea what I'm going to do, except that amazing speech Portia makes to Brutus in 'Julius Caesar' which I'm really looking forward to playing! I shall close now, do the show on Saturday, and THEN I shall write you a long letter telling you all about it, and a lot of other things besides! Love you little one, xxxxxxx
|
|
