Andalucia

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Richard W Hardwick. Andalucia

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

Author’s Note

Acknowledgements

Отрывок из книги

She’s on her feet before her surname echoes off the wall behind. Towards the smiling nurse she strides. I get up slower, gather my book, my empty bottle of water, shuffle after. But then I’m spotted. And the nurse takes her gaze from Anna’s slim face, her long brown hair. And her expression changes as her hand comes up.

“She’s only going for the...”

.....

He needs to move on before I do.

I carry on down the beach, looking for shells and stones to take back home. Down by the waves I walk, tip-toeing like a sandpiper, using the approaching roar as my retreat signal. Moving fast when white foam crashes at my feet. I scan them, thousands, millions even, some flesh coloured, stretched sinews and tendons. Others dappled like horses. Speckled thrushes. They’re better where the waves come. The water brings out their colour, their energy, highlights and contrasts. And then something catches my eye, lodges in my gut at the same time. Part of an animal perhaps. Sea creature cut out with rough knife. I stand above it and look down in disgust. Nodules stick out, tubes clogged wet with sand. I’m fascinated and revolted at the same time, want to pick it up and examine it, throw it far into the sea. But I can’t bear to touch it, so I kick it instead. It’s hard like bone. I kick it into the flush of the waves and continue along the beach without looking back.

.....