‘Lighthouse ha!’

​

I can see her raise her cigarette to her mouth and hear her inhale.

‘False alarms around here are always from them’

[new inexperienced volunteers – worried and excited to be the one to raise the alarm]

‘a suspected dinghy…10 minutes later: no sorry it’s the navy!’

 

​

​

‘But on my first night spotting alone, I can imagine that would be me.’

​

​

‘Oh yes well it would be bad, if it wasn’t how you would be in the beginning.’

The ashes light up as she takes another puff.

‘On my first night…ha!

All of a sudden you are responsible for the entire North shore.

And of course it will be a disaster.

Because of course, 80 boats will arrive in one night.

Because somehow they know that today it’s just you spotting.

You,

a fool on the hill

alone

 

and you are not even from here

a fool,

and everyone else is asleep’

 

 

‘But it makes a difference, knowing there are people there.’

She points at the taverna down at the beach.

‘Having the restaurant open,

knowing people are there.

They only opened this week.’

 

‘Before that – in winter - it’s just me on my hill.

It feels weird

what a weird situation.’

I always prefer the morning shift. It’s easier-‘ ‘You can watch the world wake up’

‘Yes, it is less lonely somehow.’

​

 

‘I have always wondered how the tourists can still come here and relax.’

 

​

‘I know’

 

​

 

‘But then the people here need them.’

​

​

‘Yes.

 

It is a weird situation.

 

But I don’t understand it

 

Last summer

I had a bad landing.

 

It was a really bad landing.

 

And I got back to the hotel

and the people were partying and drinking.

- the tourists, I mean.

and I had to walk through them

and they didn’t know what was happening

and where I was coming from

and who I was

and that was the worst part of the night

 

and it was a bad landing

but that was the worst part.’