The Madcap Laughs (Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett)

Terrapin- Part 2

It broke my heart every time I went to see him. Especially when he was his old self. The bubbly, kind, sweet boy that I lived next door to for all those years. For every time I went to see him on a good day, there were five or six bad days where he would look but not see and listen but not hear. It was the acid. Now I was no angel, I smoked and drank and did my share of drugs. Not much since we saw what it was doing to Syd. I got back into my car and drove home.

             Soon after I got home I got a call from Roger.

“I’ve been trying you for an hour. What happened?” Roger said. I noticed that over an hour had passed since the meeting ended.

“I went to see Syd.”

“Is today a good day or a bad day?”

“A good one.”

“Thank god. Well, I just wanted to tell you that there was a huge cancelation at one of the resorts and we can go next week.”

“That’s fab! What are the details?”

“The eighteenth. I’ve rented us a private plane. It takes off at 11, just before lunch. So be there around 10:30. Do you want to pick up Syd or shall I?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll ring him about the time, too. See you then.”

“Bye.”  He hung up the phone. I dialed Syd’s number. A spaced-out sounding woman answered the phone.

“Hello?” she asked, I rolled my eyes and tried to suppress any rude comments about her answering the phone.

“Syd please.”

“Sure…um, he’s in the shower.” She said. I toyed with the pros and cons of getting her to get Syd anyways and decided I didn’t want some drugged up bitch in the shower with my boyfriend. “Wait- he’s out. Who should I tell him is calling?”

“His girlfriend.” I heard her muffled voice tell Syd the phone was for him and it was his girlfriend and she sounded a bit agitated.

“Hey, Jen.” His voice was sounded smooth over the phone. “Apparently you’re agitated.”

“I’m not really. She’s just high. What is her name, anyways?”

“Dorothy…or Doris…I think it’s Delores. What’s your name, darling?” he asked the girl. Syd always used pet names to ease the blow of questions sober people would deem hurtful.  I heard a muffled voice and I couldn’t make out what she said. “Thanks, hun. It’s Deanna. I was close, I got the ‘D’ right anways.”

Once again I held back any comments about Syd’s way of life because I knew it wouldn’t get me anywhere.

“ Anyways, I rang to say that Roger got us a flight on the eighteenth at 10:30 to go on the trip. Will you remember?”

“Course.”

“I’ll pick you up at quarter after 10. Be ready and packed. I’ll call you the day before to remind you, okay?”

“Thank you, darling. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too. Ta, I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Good-bye, my love.”

            The day of the trip, I picked up Syd in front of his flat. He seemed happy and excited and I caught another glimpse of that little boy from Cambridge. He got in the passenger seat and flashed a picture of me with his Polaroid.

“What are you doing?” I laughed.

“Documenting this trip thoroughly.”

            Syd dozed off and I spent the majority of the plane ride chatting with Juliette and Rick.

“Syd seem in good spirits.” She commented.

“Yeah, I hope it lasts. “ I looked over at Syd sleeping peacefully. He looked angelic and childlike.

“If his mood now is any clue to what the rest of the trip will be like, you’ll have a blast.” Rick said.

            We spent our first night in Formentera in the hotel room. We were all terribly tired from the plane and the ferry ride. Roger and Judy stayed ashore in Ibiza. Syd tweaked out.

            The next morning I insisted Syd get up with the rest of us and go Scuba diving while the weather was still nice. The weatherman said to expect a storm later in the day. I also made Syd promise to be sober. He didn’t disappoint this time.   

            The colours of the coral were beautiful and vibrant. Fish swam in schools around us. A shark came and rubbed against my foot. Needless to say, I freaked out and Syd comforted me. I think he found the experience inspiring. When we got back to our hotel, he wrote a song. He played it on the acoustic guitar he brought over.

He played it for me.

Syd called it Terrapin.