Jill, Molly, George and Claude in Brockwell park

Jill, Molly, George and Claude in Brockwell Park

Jill has been keen for George and Claude to meet so she has arranged that all four lovers meet up in Brockwell Park that Saturday lunchtime outside the mansion house, once called Brockwell Hall, which now serves as a tea-room these days.

Jill meets George after his paper sale in Brixton outside Pizza Hut. George is wearing a Panama and Jill has her shortest wig on which serves as protection against the strong sunlight while letting her neck breathe.

George and the Comrades are trying to sell revolution in the form of ‘Militant Labour’ to the good people of Brixton. They are having even more limited success then usual. It’s a gorgeous summer day and people are more than normally disinclined to revolt. Jill admires the idealism of George and his buddies but thinks that have no chance at all, an opinion she keeps away from George. She does not want to argue with George about it. It’s for the best really because if they ever did get close to fomenting revolution she and The Met would have to arrest them all and she wouldn’t like to have to do that. But she can’t see that happening any time soon somehow she smiles to herself.

She likes some of the Comrades tho. Graham is a white man from Derby originally and he always stands some way away from the rest where he can shout at passing people:-

- When will the Tories properly fund the Health Service? Not in your lifetime!

is one of his favourite chants. April is the only black woman among the group, usually the only woman of any kind. Jill likes her too because she is pretty and sincere but she can be a bit intense. She likes Graham too but he is also intense. Otherwise the group is mainly oddballs in Jill’s opinion but George needs a dream and Jill wouldn’t have him any other way. A cynical George wouldn’t be George at all. That said George hates an awful lot of people. Apart from Tories George hates : Liberal Democrats, nearly all Labour Party leaders, vegetarians, the Ruling Class, most of the Middle Class – of whom he is one – Greens, anarchists, every other left group apart from Militant Labour but in particular the SWP. He really loathes them. George loves the Working Class as a class but he doesn’t have too many working class friends as far as Jill can see.

- Sell many papers lover?

- Three

- So are you coming now? I’m sure the Revolution can do without you for another week but I need you now.

- Okay Jill. See you later Comrades

And they walk off up Effra Road, to it’s end, left in Brixton Water Lane and right into Brockwell Park. They chat as they walk. George is nervous about meeting Claude but Jill assures he that he is an easy-going man. Beyond that she refuses to any answer any questions about Claude telling George he must ask for himself.

Everyone looks better in summer considers Jill. Blonde hair is radiant in the beams; brown skin glows in the light. Young or old, rich or poor everyone looks more pleasant. People are just more relaxed too. There is more time with the light mornings and evenings. There is more room too as people stretch out easing themselves into gardens, parks, commons and all other green, outdoor spaces which were too cold in the winter. People expose knees, arms and shoulders, collar bones and even a few bellies all of which were covered up in Winter Yes, overall summer is a very good thing she thinks.

Claude is equally nervous about meeting George. He spent the night with Molly at his and they are now making their way up Dalberg Road. Molly sports a wide-brimmed straw hat which she bought from a charity shop and Claude a white baseball cap as the sunlight is strong.

- So tell me about George

- I told you everything already lover. Relax it will be fine.

- I’ve never done anything like this before.

- Lover as far as I know nobody’s ever done this before. At least no-one’s ever recorded it as far as I know. So think of yourself like Neil Armstrong “One small step for a man” and all that.

- Heh

Jill and George arrive outside the tea-room arm-in-arm to meet Molly and Claude similarly linked. The four unlink arms.

- Now Claude, says Jill, this is Molly’s and my mutual lover George. George this is Molly’s and my mutual lover Claude. I do hope you boys are going to get on now. It means a lot to me and Molly

Claude and George have taken in each other’s appearance. George is taller but Claude is broader across the shoulders. They shake hands, as men are supposed to.

- Man, you’ve got a limp handshake George says Claude

- I know, everyone says so says George grinning. I am no John Wayne. Still at least I didn’t kiss you on the cheek

- That is appreciated George.

- Maybe we can punch knuckles in future. The Brixton Handshake and all that.

- Now, says Jill, Molly and I will walk behind you. You two boys must male-bond. Talk about sports or something else similarly masculine. Talk about anything apart from us. Off you go now. Shoo!

So Molly and Jill link arms and walk behind out of earshot of the two men who walk ahead.

- Isn’t it hilarious Molly? says Jill, can you imagine two more different men in the whole of the world? I want to observe the body language.

- Yeah, they are opposites in just about every sense possible. George is a big, daft puppy; Claude is a slightly sad old horse. George is tall, thin and white; Claude is stocky and black.

- And we love them both, says Jill

- We do.

- Lovely!

- I wonder what they are talking about?

- Well, they like a lot of the same music. That’s a good start.

A little further up the path George and Claude are awkwardly trying to male bond.

- You like jazz George?

- Yes, I love it. Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, people like that

- That’s good.

- You play the sax I understand

- Saxes. I play tenor and soprano sax.

- Like John Coltrane

- Yes, he is my hero.

- He was quite a guy. I like reggae too Claude. Do you like reggae?

- Yes but I’m not too keen on ragga from the little I’ve heard.

There is an uncomfortable pause.

- Well, we are in a unique position, you and me George. As far as I know this has never happened before in history. We are sharing two girlfriends and they are sharing us.

- Maybe it’s happened before. It’s not really so strange. Doesn’t seem strange to me anyway.

- You don’t resent me George?

- Nah, I don’t think so.

- But you were in a happy little triangle before.

- Yeah but when I was with Jill I always a little concerned about Molly and vice-versa. Now when I’m with one of the ladies you will be with the other –or they’ll be together- so there is nothing to worry about on that score. I never wanted both of them at the same time.

- That’s good. Me neither.

- I think that this situation could all be very good for all four of us.

- We’re not going to compete are we George? I’m not a very competitive guy.

- I’m not competitive either. I don’t see why we should compete. We compete with ourselves if anything.

- That makes sense.

- It’s not like either of us leave fingerprints on Molly or Jill. I love them both and I love them being free. What either of them do when they’re not with me is none of my business.

- I can go along with all of that. It’s like a daydream isn’t it? Two beautiful women to make love to and no guilty feelings.

- And you love them both and would never hurt either of them?

- I love them both and I’d never hurt either of them.

- Then I have no problem Claude.

They walk on around the park. It is a lovely summer’s day. The two men walk down the hill towards the Norwood Road exit and then right up the slight hill with the two women following. Various joggers and dog-walkers pass them

- So who’s your football team Claude?

- Arsenal

- Really? Excellent! Me too.

- Ian Wright.

- Ian Wright, the right stuff indeed.

- A little brown god

- Well, that’s a fucking relief anyway. If you’d been a Man U fan life would have been difficult.

- Man Ure? I spit on them.

- Yeah, manky scum.

- You get up to Highbury much?

- Very rarely. More of a TV fan. Never had anyone to go with. You?

- Same. Maybe we could go together some time?

- Yeah, I’d like that Claude.

- I like the way George Graham has managed them. Got a lot of players from the youth team, made them proud to wear the shirts. Hardly cost anything that team. While Spurs spent a fortune on a load of donkeys.

- Ha, yeah. You remember Michael Thomas’s 92^nd minute goal against Liverpool in 89?

- Oh yeah, just a bit.

- Thomas, Davis, Smith, Bould, Dixon, Adams, Merson, Rocastle, Wright of course. It’s a very English-sounding team.

- Morrow, token Irishman.

- Yeah, Arsenal used to be London Irish, Chelsea London Scots.

- Yeah, I remember Brady, Stapleton

- Me too Claude

So the male-bonding bit has gone well. They have no reached to highest point in the park by the entrance that leads into the low rise estate on the left of Tulse Hill as you go up. This point in the park has some excellent views of London. The towers of The City and Canary Wharf can be seen.

- How long have you lived in Brixton Claude?

- All my life –with an interlude- born here.

- So you were around in – say - April 1981 then?

- Maybe I’ll tell about that when I get to know you better George.

- Fair enough.

- How long in Brixton for you George?

- Since 1984. But I was born in Wandsworth, went to school in Battersea. Not so far away.

- My interlude was in Wandsworth, up by Wimbledon Common.

- Okay. What about politics Claude? You’re not a Tory I trust?

- Heh, do I look like a Tory? Nah, solid Labour on both sides of my family. I can’t say I care for Neil Kinnock but I will vote for him.

- That’s all right then.

Rejoining the boys Jill says

- So, are we all friends now our men?

- Yes, we are getting along fine says Claude. Both Gooners.

- Gooners? asks Molly

- Arsenal fans, he explains

- The Arse, best team in the world.

- Claude and George like it up the Arse! Claude and George like it up the Arse! laughs Molly

- Come on Bolly Knickers don’t mock our men.

- Seriously says George, I am really hoping that you girls aren’t expecting us boys to do the gay man thing to –you know- make our square complete. Because that is not going to happen. No way never.

- Amen to that George says Claude.

- Heaven forbid says Jill, I loathe bisexual men. Ug!

- Isn’t that a bit hypocritical, asks George, being as how you’re a bi woman?

- That is completely different replies Jill, we women are just prettier than men. Everyone knows that. I know you boys agree. And anyway I would just hate the very idea of any man lover of mine fancying another man. That’s a definite no-no. I’d never knowingly have sex with a bisexual man.

- I totally agree Jill. I like the idea of my man being totally 100% attracted to me as a woman. Not thinking about men too.

- Well then that’s all alright then. Everyone is happy.

The four go down and then back up across the meadow and left into the Walled Garden which George likes to call it the Secret Garden even tho it’s not secret at all. It’s a lovely little garden in any season but especially in Spring and the present Summer. They sit on two benches in a shaded arbour covered with honeysuckle giving off it’s heady perfume. George and Jill sit next to Molly and Claude. Bumble bees and honey bees are buzzing around the flowers

- I wish I knew the names of all the flowers.

- I know some Molly. Those are musk-roses, those are lilies, that creeper is amaryllis, that one virginia creeper, that’s lavender, and those pretty little pink ones are herb robert. That’s a wild flower. It must have sneaked it’s way in here.

- Herb robert. That’s a pretty name.

- Flowers often have pretty names. Herb robert grows like a weed. I’ve seen it in Leander Road and other places around Brixton. And you know the roses of course.

- Do you know the meanings of roses? A red rose is love, a white rose is friendship and a yellow rose is jealousy

- Ah ha

- Umberto Eco says that a rose is so rich in symbolism that it has practically no symbolism left. Now they are just pretty flowers. That’s why he called his book ‘The Name of the Rose’. Because it doesn’t mean anything

- How do you know so much about flowers Claude?

- I didn’t always live in Brixton. I spent a lot of my childhood right by Wimbledon Common. Learnt about the flowers then. My mother taught me. She learnt about British flowers when she first came to Britain. Thought she should get to know this new flora.

- I see. She must have been a lovely woman Claude

- Yeah, she was. God rest her soul.

And there is a silence.

- But let’s not talk of the dead on a pleasant summer day like this one. I didn’t mean to depress everyone.

- It’s okay Claude.

And another silence.

- Please people just talk normally

So George says

- Flowers are just sexual organs really. The flowers provide pollen for the bees to eat and the bees to eat or turn into honey and in return the flowers get pollinated. Everybody gains. Symbiosis. Wonderful. Of course neither the bees nor the flowers know about this but that doesn’t matter. Bees and flowers evolved together for millions and millions of years before there were any amphibians, reptiles or mammals. But only humans paint pictures of flowers or write poetry about them.

- Flowers and sex. Good combination.

Molly remembers something. She says:-

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlip and the nodding violet grows,
    Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
    With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.
    There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
    Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight.”

- That’s lovely Molly. What’s that?

- Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a very silly play but a lot of fun. A youthful play with the sap rising. There’s Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, two men and two women, and they’re all in love with the wrong people. Oberon and Titania are the king and queen of the fairies they’re having some sort of tiff too but I forget about what. I must look it up. Anyway it all works out nicely in the end as the comedies always do.

- You’re very well read Molly.

- Well I do have most of a degree in English. I would have to have read a bit.

- This is a Shakespeare Garden you know. All the flowers in it are mentioned in his plays or poems.

- How do you come to know these things Claude?

- Dunno. I heard it years ago from someone who seemed to know.

- There should be a sign telling you all about it.

- No, keep the mystery. We don’t want loads of tourists coming here. Let’s keep it to ourselves.

- Talking of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream I imagine that there are some around this garden too. They’d like it here. I bet they are watching us now. We must show respect. We don’t want to upset them.

- No, indeed we don’t.

- They won’t show themselves. They are scared of us. Like hobbits.

- They won’t mind me smoking?

- Not at all George. The hobbits all smoke and I would say that fairies do too. Tobacco and spliff are just naturally occurring weeds after all.

- There must be loads of fairies on Wimbledon Common too. That must be Fairy City. I must take you three there sometime. It’s a beautiful place, all green, lush and peaceful. A sort of Anti-London Anti-Brixton.

- I’ve been there a couple of times.

- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, eh? What a lovely title. This day could be A Midsummer Daydream it’s such a glorious day and midsummer too.

- Mmm

And there is a quiet as the four take in all the heady smells of the garden, all the beautiful flowers showing off their pretty faces to the busy, buzzing, pollinating bees while the hot, early afternoon sun beats down.

- Okay, my lovers now we must get a few ground rules down… begins Jill but George butts in

- So who elected you as our leader Jill?

- What are you talking about George? You love it when I tell you what to do. Don’t you?

- Yes, I do

- And so do you Claude and Molly?

They nod.

- Right. So shut up and kindly let me talk Okay, now –before I was so rudely interrupted- we must get a few ground rules down my lovely lovers, we must be practical. Firstly names, we are all going to call each other by the wrong names. It’s probably already happened. When we first wake up in the morning we will know we are sleeping with someone but we won’t immediately know who. Or we might say names in our sleep. So we agree that none of us mind being called by the wrong name accidentally?

And the other three agree to this.

- Now a rota. We need to plan things. It would be no good if you and I both

arrived at Claude’s on the same night Molly. I presume that you boys want to see equals amount of me and Molly, am I right?

Claude and George both blush and nod silently

- Good, Now I know I speak for Bolly Knickers here too when I say that we want to see equal amounts of you two too says Jill

- Yes indeed says Molly eagerly.

And this is the week’s rota that Jill draws up:-

Saturday Claude and Jill; Molly and George.

Sunday Molly and Jill; boys free.

Monday George and Jill; Molly and Claude.

Tuesday Molly and George; Claude and Jill.

Wednesday Jill and Molly; boys free

Thursday Molly and Claude; Jill and George.

Friday The quartet for conversation.

- Of course anyone can cancel any of these proposed liaisons

- Sex, sex! Lots of lovely sex! grins Molly

- Make notes in your diaries or Filofaxes lady and gentlemen please.

- So you and me tonight Jill

- Yes Claude

- And you and me George

- Fine by me Mol

Venues to be decided by mutual consent. As before sex is not obligatory for anyone on these nights. That would be a terrible imposition and very unromantic. Sometimes just intimacy is all one or more of the lovers wants. Sometimes people just want to be alone too.

- That gives you boys a possible four nights of great sex, we girls five or possibly six if we are feeling unusually randy. And we must all get some sleep sometimes. Fair?

- Fair

- Very fair

- Couldn’t be fairer.

- Next week we can do something else. You know many parts of Africa are polygamous. A man can have as many wives as he likes or can afford anyway. And The Koran states that a man may have four wives I believe. Fair enough but only half right. If a man can have more than one wife than a woman should be permitted more than one husband. Now that is fair. Oh, and a bit of Sapphic fun too of course. And finally I reserve the right to go off for a mad fling, every now and then, not much, two, maybe three times a year. I like a little bit of casual sex every now and then. I love you three but I have a taste for the thrill of the chase every now and then. I make no apology. It’s just how I am.

- I am sure I speak for all three of us when I say that we love you being free Jill. We would never stop you doing anything you enjoyed.

- I’ll go along with that.

- Agreed. Totally.

- Now we have five secrets between us my lovers. There are five couples amongst us. So what A and B do in bed is no business of C and D, agreed?

And the other three agree to this.

- So we are four, a quartet.

- There are four gospels.

- And four winds

- There were four Beatles, four in The Smiths, The Clash and New Order. And there are four Teletubbies.

- Bagsies Lala. She’s the sweetest.

- Bridge is a played by four people. Any of you three play Bridge?

Molly and Jill say ‘No’

- Ah, well I must teach you. It’s a good bonding game, good for communication. If you can play trumps you can play bridge

- I’d like to learn some time.

- I will try but I’m a bit crap at games.

- I can play bridge. Claude is right. You girls must learn. It will be something all four of us can do together.

Jill is thoughtful

- You’re a Sagittarian right Claude?

- Yes, the horsed archer.

- That’s a Fire sign. Molly is Pisces, that’s Water. George is a Taurean, Earth and I am Gemini – Air. So we are the four elements. Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Brilliant!

- Yeah, that is neat Jill. Well spotted.

- So we are a quartet and we’re all friends now?

- Yes

- Right then I think a bottle of wine or two is indicated. Shall we repair to the Prince Rancid?

- An excellent idea.

- Now me and Bolly Knickers will walk in front of you boys so can look at our bottoms. You know you like that. You must continue to male bond gentlemen. Come Molly take my arm.

With Jill and Molly leading and Claude and George following they leave the Walled Garden, turn left up and over the slight hill and down the long grassed slope past the Lido to Dulwich Road where is the Prince Rancid.

- I tell one thing that’s much nicer now Claude.

- What’s that George?

- We will get no hassle now. Sometimes, you know, one man with two beautiful women we used to meet some arsehole man who thought it was some of his business. But now we are simply two happy couples and no-one will mind.

- Okay. Presumably no-one will notice us swapping partners?

- No because we won’t do that very often. We will either be a black couple and a white couple or two mixed race couples. This is Brixton, no-one will even blink.

- True.

- And sometimes a black guy would object to seeing a beautiful black woman like Jill with a white guy like me. Jill soon dealt it -as you would expect- but it was still just unnecessary bother. However with you in our quartet Claude no-one can possibly object.

- It works both ways George. Even in Brixton some white male wanker might have a problem with me being with a lovely blonde like Molly but when we are next to you and Jill again no-one can object. And anyway we must get out of Brixton sometimes.

- Cool

At the Prince Rancid a bottle of chilled white and a bottle of room-temperature red are bought. As ever Molly has no money but the other three never mind. The lovers sit outside and quaff in the sunshine. They toast:-

- To love!

- Love!

As tonight’s pairing has been decided in a subtle way the four of them arrange themselves into two pairs, Claude and Jill, Molly and George, a black couple and a white couple. As none of the four are voyeurs or exhibitionists there is practically no physical contact between the couples they just sit that bit closer together to each and that bit farther apart from the other couple. It is the first time all four of them have been together like this but somehow it comes naturally to all four of them. And they all know then next day it will be Molly and Jill as the lovers and the day after that George will pair Jill while Molly will be with Claude.

Claude has got a deck of cards from behind the bar and proceeds to teach Molly and Jill bridge. They soon pick it up and then all four them play a few hands. Naturally Jill and Molly as partners play against Claude and George. Yes, thinks Jill on the day, it’s all gone perfectly and responds to Molly’s bid of two hearts with four hearts. She doesn’t really know what she is doing but she will learn.

Meanwhile across Dulwich Road hidden in the trees a small, shadowy Puck-like figure watches them with interest. He heard the four of them in the walled garden, picked up on their appreciation of the flowers and has been secretly following the quartet ever since. He knows all about them now and wishes them well. Before leaving them and returning to his home he smiles and considers them with a single line of thought:-

Oh what fools these mortals be!