Chapter 6
It was the first landing since leaving the Essex Marshes; the first time they were to be allowed on shore. A desperate need consumed Dorothy; to have her feet placed on a surface which remained static, which was not surrounded by water. She felt George’s hand resting on the small of her back, guiding her as the other passengers surged forward.
Stepping onto the quay in Colombo, the motionless air, stiff and dank, hit Dorothy full on. No ocean breeze to cool, only the solid heat; it was suffocating, like an invisible veil that had become tangled and damp. Thick sweat of sailors and vendors filled the air, mixing with the putridity of bird lime, gutted fish. Exotic perfumes broke through the stench. Local women drifted past, their saris floating, midriffs bare, jewelled ears, bel
