The Restory Retreat Centre

Photograph by Matilda Angus “We live our lives, for ever taking leave.”                                                               Rainer Maria Rilke My father lived his life using his mind. He did not have to look up mathematical formulas. He carried it conveniently along in his head. Life was a trigonometrical problem for which tan and cosine applied. He could basically fix anything mechanical. He has Alzheimer’s. In the past few months there has been a rapid deterioration. I stand in his room in the retirement home, look at his mind through what I see. There are shoes next to his CD player, a light bulb in his socks drawer, his TV re...

Photograph by Matilda Angus His name is Monty. Actually Montgomery, but he is only addressed that way if he’s doing something a naughty Monty would do. I also call him “Montego Bay” or “Wille Waghond” (Afrikaans for wild guard dog). Sebastien calls him “Monkey dog”. About the size of a brick, maybe smaller, with a thimble mouth, he epitomizes chutzpah. He has taken the guard duty of Barowfield onto himself, being of the opinion that it was in a shambles when he arrived here about four months ago. At the slightest noise outside, he’ll run from door to door or jump onto the coach and then into the wide window sill to deliver his warning or to inspect. Among other things, 800 kg bulls are charged and snakes confronted. And he’ll end up with the juicy bone initially given to Jasper the Border collie and will protect it so ferociously that none of the bigger dogs will come near him. With absolutely nothing to his advantage or in his favor but attitude. The love of his life is...