Page 174 - Michael Frost-Voyages to Maturity-23531.indd

perhaps a parent, and that the underlying purpose of the European trip was to
bring back, or remain with, a husband. This was obviously not her ‘fault’ but
was mine; I had met her when my judgment was impaired by ‘immaturity’, and
though I was now no wiser than I had been when on Oriana, opportunities to
mingle with the opposite sex had subtly changed my view of the real world. One
night she said to me, “You don’t like me anymore, do you?” By that point I had
realised that she didn’t even like sex, which was not a message received some
twenty months before, and although I did not reply, I knew she had hit the nail on
the head. Two days later I delivered her back to her travelling companion residing
in ‘Kangaroo Valley’. I think the relief on both sides to have been palpable, though
such words were not exchanged.
One problem that I faced was one that I should have anticipated. This was
the MGA. I had quickly discovered that while I was now earning more than ever
before (the wage was by no means generous, but because the seagoing life was
rent- and board-free, the income available for frivolity was pretty good) the need
to spend money on it increased almost exponentially week by week. The starting
problem was regularly a bother but was something that no mechanic that I ever
met could solve, and the brakes were so unreliable that I hesitated to go anywhere
far afield or ever attain a speed that even that car could manage. Consequently, it
was constantly in a garage undergoing repair. Fortunately, Judith was still around
(though going to cosmetician school and therefore often unavailable); she was
enjoyable company and seemed to understand the need for ‘cheap dates’. As
always, of course, everybody else was out doing an honest day’s work while I had
leisure and sought pleasure.

Things did sometimes turn up, however. A couple of my parents’ friends, living
a few miles away, knew of my predicament and invited us over for a dinner with
a nice young lady whom they knew to be footloose and fancy-free. The husband
was, I believe, in insurance, and had a hearty manner that bespoke a satisfaction
with life and the ability to put strangers at ease. His wife, and Mother’s friend, was
a delicate soul whom, I suspect, was in her youth a beauty of some note. She also
fancied herself a good cook – which she most certainly was not – but they were
always good company. We anticipated a light-hearted evening. I was told that
this young lady whom I was to meet had recently given up a relationship and was
more than eligible.

It was actually an evening that I enjoyed, and I was pleased to meet Alex,
a girl of some good looks, but less as attractive a personality. I sat next to her
and realised that if I was egotistical, she herself believed that she was God’s gift
to the world. Not only was the ex-boyfriend her constant topic of conversation,
but he was a successful London broker, owned London properties, and drove a
Bentley. Although she didn’t say so, I also gathered that he was quite the stud. It
was all that I could do just to keep polite, for hearing about this magnificent being

173