11. Conversations with Philip

Conversations with Philip had always been wild. He had arrived in the area quite late, had planted his tent on the grass in front of the kitchen and had undertaken to convince Elle that organic agriculture was about to save humanity from its near ending. As Elle did not believe in either the imminent end of the world or organic agriculture, she quickly lacked arguments in this sword fighting of ideas. Specially when this Welshman stressed the guilt or incompetence of France in all fields.

In the car taking them to Auckland they went on fencing.

- "Stop it! let him talk... he's going to be reunited with his girlfriend arriving from England. That'll calm him down!" Liyan was saying with a laugh.

Yes, sure. And me, Elle thought, what is going to calm me down? I could well spend the night with this Philip, it would be fun... In the hostel bedroom in Wellington Elle found herself snug in her sleeping bag on the small bed in the middle between Matt's bed, the impatient teenager going back home to his northern city after a sad stay in the South Island, and Philip's bed, who never stopped whining. Elle was mad at all men on earth, at Him the teaser, at Matt, at Philip... She soon sank into a dreamless sleep.

After a long day's drive from Wellington to Auckland they split in the middle of Queen Street all good friends.

At the hostel in Auckland Liyan advised Elle not to let F-sharp out of her box.

- "Before she was left lying on a shelf in Motueka", Liyan told, "she had belonged to a musician of the New Zealand Philharmonia orchestra. He had given her to his cousin in Nelson one day, that's how F-sharp had landed in the South Island."

- "Well! well!" Elle had exclaimed, "a musician of the Philharmonia! Just that!"
- "Yes, here in Auckland as a matter of fact."

In the hostel room two German ladies were discussing the program of the day. Would they go down to Taupo or up to Whangarei? The two places were attractive: Taupo, a pretty holiday town on the shores of a lake by the same name, said their travel guide book. It could be reached in a few hours by bus to the South. Whangarei, a small harbour mainly peopled by Maoris, was a few hours to the North. What to do?

Elle wanted to sleep all day. The ladies and Liyan were getting on her nerves. She was hardly listening to her going on with her story.

- "When she belonged to the musician, F-sharp had worked at a concerto for flute and oboe for a charity concert. She had fallen in love with the oboe."

Liyan stopped telling. Elle had slipped into her French army sleeping bag and had pulled the zip right up above her head. Liyan heard her cry.