– 174 –

7.

On Mondays I take flamenco lessons. Up goes my right hand twisting round, going down my face, my neck, and untwisting again as it reaches my hip. Up goes my left hand as my right foot stamps on the wooden floor with as much passion as I can put in it. The teacher explains the trick to the least advanced students: it's like picking an apple from the tree, biting it, throwing it on the floor and stepping on it in one quick movement. Simple, really!

On Tuesdays I take sign language. I love seeing my fingers contorting into impossible positions.

On Wednesdays I mould clay, wet and soft chunks of clay which I tame with my bare brown fingers, turning them into useless shapes. That makes my week.

On Sundays I allow my nailless hands to rest.