When I met her in a café in town, she was drinking espressos (she had five in the hour I was with her) and talking so fast that she gave me a headache. I am not self-conscious about my intellectual ability – I’m no Stephen Hawking, but I’m able to hold my own. This woman made me feel like a monosyllabic Neanderthal. I barely understood a single word she said. Eventually, in total exasperation, I decided to bite the bullet and ask her to tell me, in plain English, what it was she was asking of me. ‘Maria, unfortunate though it may be, I do not possess a PhD in psychology. Neither am I a Jungian scholar – I am aware of Jung, but know almost nothing about him. If I’m to do the work that you and Gráinne are proposing, you need to understand that, because I am having real difficulty understanding you.’ Maria blinked and raised her hand at the waitress for another espresso. ‘Oh. I’m really sorry ’cause Gráinne told me you were a talented therapeutic worker and I just assumed that you were into Jung y’know almost everyone who works in this area is so I just made that assumption and I hope I haven’t put you off or anything you see I’m really excited about working with you on this case it’s a fascinating study!’ That was actually the shortest sentence she had spoken to me. ‘Sorry to disappoint you.
