I had just moved into a rented unit on the Gold Coast and was sick of trying to clean the place. Tired of unpacking my little bit of household gear as well. The only positives were a rental cost I could afford without sharing with someone and it was on the beach. Not close to the beach but facing the ocean. An unbroken stretch of wide golden sand fifty kilometres long.
So stuff all the cleaning and unpacking, I’m going for a walk and a jog along the wave line.
As I left I said hello to the people who were in the unit above mine. They were visiting from Brisbane for the weekend and weren’t too interested in me.
I had been told all four units sat empty except when owners or friends came to stay. They had the best units and the best views of course. I was happy just to have a bed where I could smell the salt and hear waves. Big holes in the clouds. Deep blue backdrop.
A soft breeze played with the waves. Winter is approaching but that is not a frightening idea in the sub-tropics.
Barefoot running in and out of the water. I’m drifting south and my mind is drifting any direction it likes. I’ll be doing a lot more of this in the near future. I’m a few hundred metres from my building after turning back and I can see someone on the little balcony enjoying the scene. She sits motionless with a scarf and jacket to keep out the breeze.
After running closer I could see she hadn’t moved at all. She
appeared to be contemplating the long distance view. Her scarf is lightly blowing and her dark hair is moving. Her posture appeared to be fixed as though she is ready for a
photo-shoot. How interesting? Who is she? Is she a movie star? A model perhaps. I’m opposite the building now and still she gazes south and doesn’t move. I can’t see her features and the dark glasses hide her eyes and age. Is it Lauren Bacall? She is
certainly esoteric, even exotic. Her stillness is enhancing her mysteriousness.
I’m not staring as I walk below her balcony but I wonder if she will ever be visiting again.
On my doorstep a husband and wife are nearby so I say hello and ask how often they will be visiting. They are friends of the owners and they visit rarely. The mystery woman on the balcony is their sixteen year old daughter.
I never did get to tell her that she looked like a Fifties movie star or perhaps another Cate Blanchett. A long cigarette holder was the only prop she needed. I’ve always regretted I didn’t have a camera to snap the visiting movie star as she gazed into the distant scene and
into her future. Did she know that a sixteen year old is a work in progress and
did she know that very little work needed to be completed
Even her name, Gabriella, adds to her aura.
John A Wilson, Gold Coast, November 2017
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