elb's hovel of thoughts

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Bumping into an old mate

Finally, the weather has started to show signs of spring. The sun has been up the past couple of days, I have been able to wander around short distances clad in only a t-shirt and jeans (albeit hurriedly and without stopping to allow the cold to starp sapping away) . The temperature is to finally hit double digits in the next few days as well, and the clocks move forward early Sunday morning.

So anyway, I was having lunch with some friends. As we looked around for a table, I saw a vaguely familiar face. The face looked like someone that I haven't seen since finishing secondary school, a good several years ago. I hesitated, wondering if I should go over and risk making a fool out of myself.

As we were eating, I mentioned it to my friends.

'Go on and say hi!'
'Uhhh... no?'
'How certain are you?'
'80%?'
'Good enough! What are you waiting for? Go ahead!'

I stayed put. Every now and then I would glance over, wondering what if. Eventually he and his friends got up to put their trays away, and they started walking towards my direction, whilst I continued to look at him, still wondering if I should get up and say hello.

Fortunately I did not, because as he was looking around, he realised that someone else was looking at him and we locked eye contact briefly. His head recoiled briefly with surprise as recognition between two former schoolmates were exchanged.

'Hey Patrick! What are you doing here?'
'Hey xxxxx! Long time no see!'

We talked a bit, caught up a little on our past and our current lives, and the obligatory exchange mobile phone number ritual was carried out:

'If there's anything up, I'll give you a call or something'
'Sure, same over here'

It will probably never happen and I would probably never bump into him again for a very long time again; its just one of those things in life...

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