Gods (Emily Berry)

 

Gods

While her companion talked on and on she
aimed to keep her expression neutral but
allowed her gaze to pass occasionally from
his face to the large colourful painting
behind him, which depicted a pair of Hindu
gods cavorting in an idyllic landscape. Just to
the right of his head she had a glimpse of a
bright blue pool beneath some trees, and as
she nodded and murmured small sounds
of encouragement she imagined herself
plunging into the lake and swimming with
a powerful front crawl to the other side.

Emily Berry (2022)