He sighed. ‘Less, just recently,’ he admitted, and it wasn’t the answer I thought I’d get. ‘And I feel guilty for that. The more time that goes on the further away from her I am … And I need to get on with my life but it’s a life she’s not in. I have all these feelings …’ He stopped talking and took a breath. Half of me wanted to get up and walk over to him, but the other half of me was glued to the spot, waiting for him to keep talking.

‘This has been such a special trip for me,’ he continued, still looking out to the water. ‘Honestly, I don’t know how to thank you for bringing me. I’ve been more of my old self than I have done in years. I suppose that’s a bit scary when I’m so used to …’ He didn’t finish his trail of thought.

‘So we’re two happy people, happy to be here, happy to be having this adventure, but being cross with each other and sitting practically on opposite sides of the river?’ I offered.

He laughed, but it was kind of a sad laugh. ‘That’s about the measure of it,’ he said, and it made me laugh too. ‘But I did just want to say to you, I’m the same Patrick I was before I told you about my wife. You get that, don’t you?’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘But also, you’re not. Not in a bad way, but I’m getting to know you, aren’t I? If you were an outline before, and I get to colour in parts of you, telling me about Mala was a big bit to add to what I know. You said yourself it has shaped who you are.’

‘I suppose so,’ he said picking up a stone and throwing it out to the river.

‘It hasn’t become your overriding personality trait, if that’s what you mean. I understand it’s a thing that happened, but it doesn’t define you.’

‘The thing is,’ he muttered, so quietly I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him right, ‘it does define me.’ He sighed deeply. ‘It’s just that sometimes, I really wish it didn’t.’

Back in town the marketplace had been transformed. There were streamers and bunting everywhere and a wooden dance floor had been placed off to one side, where the beginnings of a band set-up was happening.

‘Looks like this is going to be quite the event,’ Patrick commented to an older guy sat on a bench, watching it all unfold beside us. We’d grabbed a couple of ginger beers from a corner shop and slurped at them as we recovered from the walk. It had been much hotter coming back than heading out to the river.

‘I’ll say,’ replied the man. ‘We know how to have a good time all right.’