..or just one French. And she's not invading so much as coming to stay. Yes, mummy MonkeyPie will be on Cypriot soil after only 4 hours of delay.
Trouble is, MonkeyPie Snr and Jnr were all set to rush off to Larnaca at 3:30pm to be ready to pick her up in our flash tin on wheels. It had been scrubbed and polished, filled up with the finest unleaded with lead subsitute added because the MonkeyMotor is an old car and pollutes the world with its dual cylinder action. Then we receive a text that she's 4 hours delayed but the cyplon website insists that the plane has taken off and is somewhere over the balkans as we speak.....
We call Mrs MonkeyPie but to no avail.. has she taken off? Hasn't she? Is she over the balkans or merely sipping scalding piss tea in Heathrow? Anyway, I've given up on the suspense and am back at work. Which was the right decision as the very efficient website has just reloaded and said that the plane is only just embarking (after being in flight southwards for 3 hours).

Tonight calls for a trip to Larnaca and a visit to a good friend who's terribly depressed at the moment and falling on old vices (including some very hard ones, even in the eyes of a hardened Edinburgher). She's kind enough to give me her piano... I shall have to find a way of appearing grateful without being annoying.

My last greek lesson tomorrow night.
My last day at work on Friday..
My last beach lounging on sunday...

Cyprus never fails to heal me. I arrived cynical and broken and deeply unhappy and leave as myself, rejuvenated and calm. Who knows when I'll be back... hermitude and sunshine is fine tonic for those who are hurt by other people. I've regenerated the bits of my soul I'd offered up to the greedy Gods of devotion, this time I'm nobody's fool. However much of a good man they may be.