Awake Awake
All is recollection save for the slender membrane of now. Every present thought, every present feeling, collides with a league of their familial ghosts. And if our lives in this moment seem flimsy, that is because they are. We dwell
The writer recounts a vivid memory from their childhood, reliving the events as if watching a play on stage. The memory includes the smell of the bonfire and the taste of the beck, as well as the presence of Billy, Kimberley, and their friends. The memory is fragmented and can be viewed from different perspectives, such as the writer's own or that of Joe Palmer or Billy Fletcher.
The writer imagines themselves as Eve, diving into the water to save Joe, and feels the presence of everyone in the hall, including the policeman who pushed Billy Fletcher into the car. The writer shares this memory with Sita, who asks about Billy's significance. The writer explains that Billy was just a wild boy who did some crazy things, and that he was expelled from school and later turned up at the Carters' farm, causing significant damage and fleeing in a stolen car.
The writer explains that they met with Sita to discuss their earliest memory, which is of their father rowing a boat while they stood on the beach. The writer reflects on their memory difficulties, which have been a gradual accumulation of uncertainty and a recent breakdown.
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