Round 51.

51

I meet Eric in the supermarket in front of the crap they are trying to shift for the Halloween holiday.

He looks exactly like he did 12 months ago when I last saw him; he is wearing the same simple neat suit, his hair is in the same position and his glasses haven’t changed a bit.

I am wearing a t-shirt with a hole on one side; I certainly hadn’t been wearing this the last time we met, and if I had the hole is new, but I guess the fact that he recognised me is testimony to the fact that I look much the same as well.

Though I feel totally different.

There is a little surprise in his voice when he says my name, I am not sure if the shock is due to seeing me standing here staring at orange and black pieces of plastic, or if in fact he can sense the difference in me.

I try to explain the difference by telling a story of how going to work yesterday I had become entangled in a traffic jam on the local motorway and decided that I would change jobs and become a farmer who only has to walk out of his front door into a field outside.

Eric had heard about the traffic jam and I ask him how.

He explains that it was mentioned on Facebook.

I know what Facebook is, but I don’t see the point.

As he tells me, I still don’t.

Eric is in the supermarket looking for a present for his young son to take to a party to give to the host; I point to the skulls, ghost costumes and plastic finger nails that take up a large part of the display in front of me, but he smiles and explains it is a birthday party.

He asks me is I am preparing for Halloween and I realise how little he really knows me. My Halloween preparation takes place in the greengrocers.

Pumpkins.

Apples.

I try to explain that I am looking for something so naff that it is kitsch, but then I have to try and explain the words.

Eric is a former client in an English language training session I participated in.

I notice that despite my many efforts he is still making all the same mistakes he was when I had first met him and I fail to resist the urge to correct him as he speaks.

Until I get a tractor, it will be what I do.

There are no tractors for sale in the supermarket, so after we say goodbye I head for the shelves of cat food, which was my initial destination before I was distracted by a combination of Eric and October 31st.

The cats will be happy; they are waiting for my return.

I get a box of this, and some tins of that and a huge bag of sunflowers seeds for the birds, my bag is almost to heavy to carry before I finally find something for myself.

Cheese.

Though I bet the cats will want half.

I don’t think Eric has a cat, though I too don’t know him very well either.

His suit seems too neat.

He is wearing the suit when I meet him in the supermarket.

I meet him in front of the crap they are trying to shift for the Halloween holiday.

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