Louis in his Den

Just to skip back in time for a moment to JHB. On the Sunday when preparations were underway for Lindys birthday party Louis suddenly showed me a bottle of German wine

What do you think of that? He asked me (this keyboard has no inverted commas)

Never seen it before. I said

Follow me he said, and I did. He took me into his study, a beautifully cluttered room strewn with boxes and fishing rods and books. He pulled back a daoor to reveal an extensive wine collection.

They have to give me a year before I die to drink this bloody stuff. He said.

There was all sorts there inclluding single malts (Talisker no less) and Cognac. Next he showed me some legal books on copyright which was his thing I think. He starts showing me the regulations concerning obviousness. He explains that in order to get protection of the law your idea nust not be bloody obvious.

Then its a leather case for carrying a shotgun, the leather is as hard as wood and polished and smooth. Then its pictures on the wall, then its books - an ecclectic mixture of Punch, Floubert, TS Elliot, Legal stuff, everything.

I am quite overcome by this glimpse into his world.

When all you will is unknown, and only what you can will now is what you are, and when you are not who you really are...

To know that your purse is empty and contains no currency anymore - just old reciepts- To know you are something important but are not quite certain what . . .

To have only this cluttered room and to experiebnce the slow erasure of your own force. To think of yourself in the past . . .

Its hard to imagine what it could be like.

The next day as we are leaving he is standing by the car to see us off

Im sure you can teach me something - jut not sure what he says.

To Louis