The morning was calm, serene and heavily scented with
fate. Everything I touched fell into place, despite the arrangements being made
at the last minute. I felt positive, light and full of hope for the day ahead.
The ‘boy’ smiled a brilliant smile at me. He couldn’t have
been more than 17 surely – in fact, if I hadn’t known better I would have asked
him about school! The older man, his face showing the years of experience and perhaps
life’s disappointments, managed to smile also. He discovered my details on the computer and I left
their place of work smiling. How lovely to exchanges pleasantries without as
much as a word. I looked up toward the heavens with gratitude in my heart.
There was a little time now before I needed to be at my next
appointment. How wonderful it felt to know I could do something decadent!
I waltzed up to the counter at my favourite coffee shop and ordered a small, spinach
and feta filo pie and an espresso. The zombie,
with his clothes stained blood red, took my order and we exchanged a few words
about his costume for Halloween. Young people these days seem to take great
delight in this ritual. No, I didn’t have
plans to go out tonight. No, my children don’t have plans either. We will be
celebrating my Grandmother’s birthday; she would have been 94. Have a great
time yourself though, I responded. I rejoiced on the occasion to speak
about my Grandma with this stranger and feel peace, rather than pain. These past five years have surely gone quickly.
Sitting down at a nearby table it occurred to me that life
just couldn’t be better. What a day! No awkward human interactions plus a few
minutes to enjoy a coffee and read my latest medieval tale Scandal of the Season. How extraordinary to go behind the scenes of
the famous poem The Rape of the Lock.
Do you remember it? Alexander Pope. Ha, that brings back some memories. But after re-reading the same paragraph for the third time I closed the book. My stomach was twisting with knots of nerves. I
observed the time, five more minutes. Anxious at the
prospect of meeting someone new, I checked my thoughts and persuaded them to dwell
on the knowledge that luxury accompanied
this meeting. One and a half hours of complete extravagance! My energy was soaring
again, so I quickly gathered my belongings and headed towards my new destination.
I was early, I needed to wait. I took a seat in the stiff,
white chair seemingly in the middle of a thoroughfare, but at least it took my
mind off the up-coming event. I watched three people waiting in a line close by. The
elderly lady in the paisley blouse was being attended to courteously, but she grasped
uneasily at her oversized bag and walking stick as the attendant offered her a bag
of medicines. It’s a bugger getting old,
she stated. The attendant smile sympathetically and helped her customer regain composure
before moving amongst the fast-moving crowd beyond the doorway. Two middle-aged
ladies tapped impatiently on the glass counter, waiting to be served. I wouldn’t want to be in retail again, I
thought. Just then I felt eyes on me. I turned to see a soft face and a
brilliant smile, Tara is it? All my
anxiety melted away as I nodded. Come
this way please.
