Book 2, Chapter 23

It wasn't until on our way to work next day that I heard from Mr Patel in the paper-shop that Dumblebit's launch had been on the television - despite knowing the cameras were present my heart believes television pictures come from a different universe. Litara had driven back to London soon after the launch and the Wednesday dance classes for Mum, Dad and myself meant we missed seeing the local news. Mr Patel was only the first of many to describe our television moment as we continued Dumblebit's fit-out where she was now afloat in the marina.

My biggest surprise was when Martina, Gwen and George came screaming down the dock. It had been 6 months since I'd seen any of them as I'd been away for when they came home at Christmas.

"You're such a tart for the cameras!" announced Martina. "I came home at Christmas to see you swanning about for the cameras in Bilbao and the first thing I saw coming back to Cardiff this time is you on the BBC playing Wonder Woman lassoing bollards."

"I didn't lasso it!"

"Sure looked that way to me." insisted George.

A cough from Jack reminded me that I was supposed to be working so I had to cut our conversation short with an arrangement I would gather as many of the gang as possible for us all to meet at the pub near my house at 9 pm.

Those arrangements for a gathering of the clan progressed during my lunch break with phone calls to Serena, Kelly and Jenny and then Penny arrived with Andy and Mrs Clark from the development. It seems Penny was determined that Andy was going to live in one of the new apartment/workshop properties producing sculptures; despite my suspicion that his work was of strictly hobby quality and he'd never sell anything, let alone enough to pay for rent.

After they left I was thinking about the odd relationship that had been growing between Penny and Andy, and wondering why he tolerated her meddling, when Simon Snow from the South Wales Argus turned up at the boat. He wanted, he said, a personal interview and had been doing his homework, even having even heard about the frantic drive with John to the hospital. Of the journalists I'd met he seemed the most trustworthy although I could have been biased because I'd managed to manipulated him last time. There was the programme on the modelling scandal soon to be aired and with the fast approaching Transit of Venus voyage series I was tempted to try to manage my public image in advance… The word image threw up in my mind the picture of Litara furious because I'd allowed the eyelash extension woman to use photographs of me in her advertising without Litara's permission.

"I'd like to give you an interview Simon but I'm not a free agent and before I can talk properly I will have to ask my manager." The irony was not lost on me although hopefully Simon didn't see what it cost me to say that.

"Tell the truth and no more than the truth you are asked for. Journalists come with a story they want to tell and Simon Snow will be looking for quotes from you to hang his story on." were Litara's instructions as I got ready for my evening out.

"That doesn't sound difficult so why do the papers give so many problems for the people they interview?"

"Because people try to protect themselves like Clinton saying ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman.’ or they try to please the journalist and puff themselves up by saying what they believe the journalist wants to hear so sometimes dropping a coin in a collection box becomes ‘I am active in several charities.’"

"That still doesn't explain why you're coming with me." I concluded finally getting my hair to just that right combination of casual but classy to complement my 'off-duty model' look.

"Because my little sister is growing up fast and I love her."

The interview was arranged for 20:15 at the pub and didn't go at all as expected? "I'm writing a book on those called Generation Y or The Millennials, concentrating on those who turned 18 in 2000 and whether you realise it or not you are the loudest member of that group in Cardiff. What I don't know is whether you are typical of your age or someone special. If you are typical I'd like your input for the book but if not I'd really like to write an article on what makes you special."

"Do you really believe you can divide people up like that? There are no 'special' people unless you're thinking of people like those in the disabled group I dance with."

"So Mozart and Einstein weren't special?"

"Probably not in any way you'd notice if they were here in this bar. Ask someone deaf since birth if Mozart was special and Einstein said he didn't believe god played dice because to his mind the quantum physics that we now see as governing so much was just wrong thinking."

"So why when your friends are studying or working in regular jobs do you keep cropping up in conversation and the media as doing all manner of unusual things?"

"I think many of my friends have something in mind they want to achieve or to avoid so perhaps their concentration means they don't see macaws up trees."

"That doesn't explain why the papers aren't full of stories of other unambitious 18 year olds."

"Unintended consequences just linked things for me but not for others… The macaw got me noticed which produced medical gossip which led to a trip to Bilbao which led to the television interview which caused me to sail across the Atlantic which… "

"Hold it a moment. You sailed across the Atlantic?"

'Oh shit!' I silently thought 'Tell the truth and no more than the truth you are asked for' was what I was told… "Litara. I think Mr Snow has some questions we need you to answer."

Maybe it was cowardly but it was 9 pm and the first of the gathering arrived in the form of Evan, Philip and Jenny so I made my excuses saying we had run past the 30 minutes he'd asked for and left Litara to pick up the pieces.

My local pub is nothing special but the following day was the Good Friday bank holiday so spirits were high and everyone and their dog had turned up including gap-year Gareth who had just flown in from Australia, flush with cash and deeply tanned.

George, on his arrival, had plonked a cardboard Wonder Woman tiara on my head and it stayed there as we made introductions, caught up on news and tried to reconnect on another level. The reconnection was the most difficult as, although I thought we in Cardiff were unchanged it was the students, Martina, Gwen and George who were if anything just more extreme versions of their old selves while work experience had probably tempered the behaviour of the stay-at-homes.

Gareth was full of himself and even better looking than when he was on the receiving end of my enthusiastic kiss at Serena's swimming pool and I was the one who had done the most new things and physically changed to be almost unrecognisable even though I could only see changes in me through the eyes of my friends. I certainly didn't envy Simon Snow the job of finding common threads that joined us or lines that separated us from other generations.

Evan and Philip came in for a deal of teasing which confused Gareth who hadn't heard Evan was gay. That led to the suggestion that with Penny and Andy tied at the hip, Serena and I were letting the side down by not either finding boyfriends or becoming a couple. George inadvisedly leapt to Serena's defence stating he knew Serena wasn't a lesbian then had to apologise with a self-depreciating comment that girls who went out with him tended to decide they were lesbian (I wasn't immediately sure but Kelly seemed to look at George more intently after that and then in the toilets she quizzed me on his details so… Watch this space?).

As I left the toilets Litara, who to my surprise had remained talking to Simon for a good hour, beckoned me over.

"Do you expect to be richer than Mum and Dad?"

It was a ridiculous question - I was 18 so how could I possibly know - except that if everything went as Bill wanted I would be incredibly rich. Not even Litara knew that so she must mean something else.

Simon stepped in to explain. "People have been getting richer, taller and living longer throughout the 20th century so the question is, do today's 18 year olds expect that trend to continue?"

I didn't have the faintest idea so called for backup from Kelly and Serena who were followed, as the discussion became heated, by everyone else moving their tables and chairs to join in…