Remembrance

During the week I met a friend in an area where I had lived in the past.

The friend was a little late, so I took a walk around the area, seeing that the Turkish greengrocery where I had been buying fruits and vegetables and couscous was about to be shut down.

The supermarket in which I had done my weekly shopping had been re-arranged, and the personnel was different.

Nevertheless, in the supermarket I saw two people I remembered, one who had even lived in the house where I had lived before. He didn't recognise me, but he was also occupied yelling at the shop assistants for some reason I didn't understand.

Walking around, I passed in front of the Asian takeaway where I had bought food from time to time. It was still the same lady, probably of Vietnamese origin, and when she saw me passing by she said: "Long time no see."

She had remembered me over almost two years, a time in which I had moved several times, living in three different places. We held a little chat. The business wasn't running so well because of the cold weather. I told that I moved away.

I wasn't hungry, and didn't have much time, but I still felt a little ashamed walking away without eating anything after our short conversation.

My friend came. We left the area, talking about the day and the weeks to come.