At 8:45 a.m. on July 13th 1992 I boarded a number 73 bus opposite London’s St Pancras Station to take a four minute ride to Gower Street. There were no available seats downstairs so I took one on the upper level. I sat down... to find that two seats ahead was a woman dressed in black denim. I recognised her as one with whom I had enjoyed the briefest of dalliances the previous year.
I had met her in Camden, a mile or so away, and her place was nowhere near the part of London where I boarded the bus.
I got off at my stop without saying anything.
Later I realised that at the point where I had recognised her we were passing by the University College Hospital. During the few days of our acquaintance I had been taken ill and spent two days in the hospital, during which time she had visited me.
In late May 1993 a weekend chess tournament was held in a church hall in East London. I did not attend but several people I knew were there and they told me that this woman, who apparently lived locally, wandered into the church with thoughts of worship. Noting the chess tournament she entered it! It became clear that she knew almost nothing about chess and lost all her games.
She had mentioned me to some people there.
No comments:
Post a Comment