The Silver Swans

I  don't  think  that  I've  ever  been  in  love.  She  stopped  for  a  minute  and  then  she  continued.  How  will  I  know?  My  name  is  Dr.  Horatio  Fundabi  but  I  am  not  the  kind  of  doctor  who  sees  sick  people.

I  am  called  a  doctor  because  I  have  spent  many,  many  years  studying.  I  studied  history  and  I  now  have  an  important  job  at  the  British  Museum  in  London.  Every  Sunday  afternoon  I  walk  along  a  path  in  Chelsea  on  the  bank  of  the  River  Thames.  A  lot  of  painters  live  in  Chelsea.  People  often  think  that  I  am  a  painter.

I  look  like  one  and  I  dress  like  one.  I  have  a  white  beard.  I  carry  a  black  wooden  stick  and  I  wear  a  large  old  hat.  The  hat  is  more  than  40  years  old  and  I  always  wear  it  for  my  walks.  I  enjoy  my  walks  very  much.

There  is  a  lot  to  see  in  here.  Boats  pass  on  the  river.  Birds  cries  on  the  river.  Birds  cry.  Noisily.

Above  along  this  bank  of  the  river  there  are  some  old  houseboats.  People  buy  these  houseboats  because  they  like  living  on  the  water.  They  enjoy  watching  the  passing  boats  and  listening  to  the  sounds  of  a  busy  river.  They  paint  the  boats  in  bright  colors.  One  Sunday  afternoon  I  was  standing  by  the  houseboats  looking  across  the  river  in  the  deepest  water  in  the  middle  of  the  Thames.

I  could  see  a  beautiful  white  sailing  ship.  It  was  called  the  poseidon.  The  back  of  the  ship  was  a  little  unusual.  I  knew  that  the  owner  of  the  ship  was  Lord  Struve.  He  was  a  great  scientist  who  studied  ocean  life.

Near  the  Poseidon  were  a  large  ship  from  South  America  and  a  dirty  Spanish  boat.  Then  I  noticed  one  of  the  houseboats  near  the  bank.  It  was  called  the  Nureen  and  it  was  very  colorful.  The  boat  was  gray,  but  parts  of  it  were  painted  in  bright  colors.  The  door  was  blue  and  the  large  wooden  cover  in  the  floor  of  the  front  deck  was  bright  red.

There  were  some  steps  going  from  the  boat  to  the  bank  of  the  river.  These  were  painted  blue  like  the  door.  I  saw  a  young  girl  trying  to  push  back  the  COVID  She  wanted  to  get  out  and  she  was  halfway  out  of  the  hole.  But  she  had  a  problem.  She  saw  me.

She  didn't  shout  at  me,  but  her  mouth  formed  the  words  I  can't  open  it.  I  hurried  towards  the  Noreen.  It  was  sitting  on  the  bottom  of  the  river  and  I  had  to  walk  down  the  blue  wooden  steps  over  the  water  of  the  Thames.  I  went  carefully  along  the  deck  of  the  boat  until  I  reached  the  girl.  The  new  red  paint  has  dried  and  I  can't  open  the  COVID  she  said.

Wait  a  minute,  I  said.  I  used  my  stick  to  open  it.  A  few  minutes  later,  the  girl  climbed  out  onto  the  deck.  She  was  about  20  years  old.  She  was  wearing  old  blue  paint  covered  trousers  and  a  gray  shirt.

I  thought  that  she  looked  quite  beautiful.  She  looked  at  me  with  big  green  eyes.  They  were  the  loveliest  part  of  her  face.  Thank  you,  she  said.  That's  all  right,  I  replied.

I  was  glad  to  help.  You're  a  dear  man,  she  said.  Do  you  know  who  you're  like?  You're  like  one  of  those  older  men  who  work  in  museums.  Oh,  I'm  sorry.

That  wasn't  very  polite.  She  smiled  gently.  But  I  am  an  old  man,  I  said.  Please  don't  worry.  In  fact,  I  do  work  at  the  British  Museum.

I'm  Dr.  Horatio  Fundobi.  Oh,  she  said.  The  British  Museum.  She  was  silent  for  a  second  and  then  she  asked,  would  you  like  to  see  my  octopus?

Yes,  I  would,  I  said,  smiling.  She  took  me  down  through  the  blue  door  into  a  green  room.  I  could  see  a  small  bed,  bookshelves  and  paintings.  Then  I  notice  two  glass  cases  one  large  and  one  small.  In  the  small  case  were  two  fish  and  in  the  large  one  was  the  octopus.

Isn't  it  beautiful?  She  said.  Sometimes  I  sit  and  look  at  it  for  hours.  Does  it  have  a  name?  I  asked.

Oh,  just  call  it  Octopus,  she  replied.  And  you,  what's  your  name?  I  ask.  After  a  minute,  she  said,  My  name's  the  TISS.  My  name's  the  Tisse.