Back to basics
By mid -morning, the woman had given up on the idea of another of day of mouse hunt duty and had decided instead to take a wandering mooch to the market hall where she knew she would be bound to meet a stranger as well as see her friends. It happened every day and it was the reason she loved her hometown so much.
The weather was miserable. It was grey, windy with occasional bursts of rain and if she were feeling more grounded, she would probably have stayed in. However, the perturbance of the pesky visitor had played out and aggravated her nerves and she felt a need to move and for human connection. Donning her favourite pink scarf, she left the house feeling sure that someone would comment. Whenever she wore the scarf on such a day, someone would comment on how lovely it was. It didn't always take much to raise a mood on a miserable day on a miserable island at a miserable time. Mostly, it just took a smile and a bit of colour. Today had been like every other.
The first person she met was a young man with a bike and a huge black delivery box, sheltering from the sudden downpour under the awnings of the cafe. He had a confident manner, an easy smile. “This weather's ridiculous innit?” he said.
She agreed and asked what he was delivering. It wasn't food, it was generally vapes and alcohol that he was dropping off. “Well that's reassuring eh? There's talk of war on the radio and the long term possibility of conscription and we have a population chilling with vapes delivered by a man on a bike. Thats more ridiculous than the rain don't you think?” He'd laughed.
“You can tell you're a G. ” It was the long leather coat rather than the pink scarf she suspected but she didn't deny it. “I am indeed. You've got to be the star of your own life's movie and not believe the hype out there.”
“Its true still, ” he replied and as they exchanged more observations and names, she wished him what she called a hahalala day and went off into the mall. Passing a sheltering traffic warden on the way, there was another brief exchange, a smile shared and she hadn't yet reached the new automatic doors.
With a few hellos to traders here and there, she strolled around wondering if there was anything she actually needed. There wasn't really but it was nice to be able to puruse the fruit and the smells coming from the Mauritian restaurant were as delicious as always. It didn't take long to have a full conversation with a woman she had seen many times over the years. They'd always nodded hello but it was the first time the two had stopped and really spoken.
“That scarf looks lovely,” she'd said as they passed each other near Primark and the woman told her happily that her mission with the lovely scarf was now accomplished. They had then spent 15 minutes exchanging stories and agreeing that they loved where they lived. It was messy and it was mad but there were people from all over the world living together in general harmony and this was something both women agreed made it magical and made it so hard to think of leaving. Sharing again the idea that living for hahalala was the only real way, the woman bid her new friend goodbye as they agreed that it really was good to be so rooted in communities.
Mission accomplished in that she had gone out just to talk to strangers and show off her cheery scarf, the woman was happy to return home and perhaps crack on with the plan to bring order and clarity to her cluttered home. She'd start with a cuppa. She'd need to take off the scarf. Perhaps some overalls for the afternoon's duties.