TODAY'S SPECIAL

machynlleth high street
as opposed to low street
(there are only two streets)
in the wholefood café
today’s special
tomato and mushroom pasta bake
couscous with black olives and tomatoes
sweet beetroot salad
crispy green n purple lettuce
peanuts n celery n soyannaise
mmmmmmm...a riot of colours n flavours
vegans
what the hell do they eat?!
this is a place where people have something to say
the notice board is overflowing
yoga
aromatherapy
courses at cat
et al
there's a national cycleway map up on the wall
families with children
enjoying each other’s company
not shrieking or swearing at each other
or telling the kids that they are naughty or stupid
but smiles n laughter
a friendly at-most-fear
my kind of people
a blonde lady arrives at the table next to me
pushing along a chubby little toddler in a buggy
a chap stands up and gives her a hug
long time no c
the little girl in the pushchair
has blonde curls and gorgeous blue eyes
she looks just like her mum
but she's shy and won’t look at mum's friend
she catches my eye instead
i smile and give her a wink
cute little kids like this one
always remind me of hannah these days
especially when i’m away from home
the blonde lady and pal chat away in welsh
as i munch on my lunch
the voices and intonation sound oddly like English
there is little of the expected lilt
it is just the words that are different
among the stream of welsh
i half-overhear that the lady's daughter’s name is hannah too
then the little blonde girl and mum leave
and i feel a pang of sadness
that i will never see this beautiful child again
as an excuse to hang around the caf
i self-indulge
spicy lemon cake
washed down with coffee
fairly traded of course
i am keeping the place in business today
the welsh friend drops his computer disc under my feet
i stoop down and hand it back
a smile
thanks
no worries
i pull out carbon detox
george marshall’s exciting new book
that i was lapping up on the train
while the stunning views of welsh valleys tried to compete
the book is out tomorrow
but I picked up a copy
at the roadblock conference
after i'd sold the other nine
meanwhile
the welsh guy has gone
and the blonde lady has come back
unfortunately minus beautiful daughter
are you enjoying the book?
she asks suddenly
yeah great!
i know george
she says
he’s a friend of ours
wow really!
i tell her i ended up selling some copies on saturday
along with george monbiot’s
oh - george is my husband
she says casually
bloody hell!
i don’t say
what a coincidence
we introduce ourselves
the welsh chap is called ‘ale-ear’
at least that’s what it sounds like
george’s wife is called angharad
and seems a lot younger than george
but lovely and genuine
we sit and chat awhile
till abruptly they lapse into welsh again
to talk about a mutual friend
and i respectfully withdraw to my book
but i am not reading
just pondering over the strange reality
of meeting not one
but three monbiots in one day!