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It is this, the image I want to take with me: the pink light of early morning, rising wintry above the mist. The water, grey and murky, rippling gently where the oars pull.
I was raised on this river, lived for years in the house receding at my back. It’s a red brick, two-story build, quite comfortable for the family of four that we were and typical of so many homes that line the Surrey waterway. A neat lawn runs down to the bank – it will be horribly muddy when the rain falls – whilst the paved patio although ideal for summer lunches, is a fool for moss. It resists even the strongest jet of water, as any close inspection will quickly confirm. My parents bought the house new as I remember, a thing my father was always proud of…
Tom is rowing. His brow is furrowed as it always is when he’d rather not talk. But I’m OK with that. It was his idea to leave like this and it was a good one. I just want to take it all in, store it all away. Feather the nest of my mind with as many tiny gems as it can reasonably hoard.
Jane Downs
A reflection on childhood, family and the ties that lead us to commit not only heartbreaking but very tender and personal acts, our latest Podcast is “The Boat Ride”, by Jane Downs.
You can listen to the podcast on the player below, or subscribe to “Litro Lab” on Spotify or iTunes.
Podcast: Embed
Did you like this podcast? Listen to “Midwest Wimmin’s Festival 1987” by Sage Tyrtle, next.
To subscribe to our membership packs, which includes all print issues delivered to your door, full online access to all short fiction, old issues and archives: click here.
About Jane Downs
Having grown up in the south of England, Jane went on to study Arabic at university, travelling extensively in the Middle East and North Africa before putting down roots in Paris. Her work includes short stories, poetry, reportage and radio drama. Her audio drama "Battle Cries" was produced by the Wireless Theatre Company in 2013. Her short stories and articles have been published by Pen and Brush and Minerva Rising in the US. In August 2021 she joined the Litro team as Book Review Editor, commissioning reviews of fiction translated into English. Other works can be found on her website:https://scribblatorium.wordpress.com
