Goats's Cheese and Reindeer.

Goat’s cheese.

And reindeer.

The first person to ask about reindeer was drunk.

“Have you seen any reindeer?” he asked.

We hadn’t.

But we were polite, asked some details and offered him a bed upstairs. He looked as if he needed to sleep of the effects of alcohol.

The cheese came next.

Competitive cheese, titles at stake.

Most likely to interest young people was awarded to small bite size balls of goat-curd individually arranged on a scallop shell. The scallop shell seemed unnecessary but perhaps swayed the judges. The marble-sized morsels packed a surprisingly crunchy exterior unleashing a soft interior that melted in the mouth.

We were enjoying them when the second person asked about reindeer.

He was concerned, more troubled than the first had been.

He had seemed jolly.

Amused.

As well as intoxicated.

This man, in contrast, wanted to find them and quickly.

They were out of place, at risk from motorised traffic and perhaps the wrong food.

He stared at the cheese.

“You are the second to ask about reindeer this morning,” we offered.

He raised an eyebrow.

“He’s asleep upstairs if you want to wait. There is coffee, tea, and .. cheese.” We gestured towards the plates on the counter.

He raised the other eyebrow.

Then thanked us and left.

Obviously he wished to pursue his search rather than peruse the pickled.

We looked around.

It seemed to be done.

We became one and I woke.