Como que si

The paella didn't happen, Teresa had reason to cancel her invitation as well so I had to revamp my day. As Retail Therapy is one of the best therapies I went shopping and a goodly spend later saw me back home with enough stuff to see me through a nuclear holocaust for a week or so. On my way back with the overloaded, heavy, trolley I called into La Placita for a breather (the weather is getting hotter by the day now, summer is marching in fast!) as I sometimes do just to show my face to Yvonne and her staff. This is the little Cafe/Bar where I had a meal on Christmas Eve and I have occasionally popped in since just to show that that evening put the place "on the map" for me but being not much more than on nodding terms with the folk there I generally do not stay too long and yesterday was no exception. Continuing my way home I called in to The Ship to check that Lisa would be working later because Favio had given me some cat food to pass on to her and there I crossed paths with Christy who had his guitar slung on his back and was on his way to El Bajondillo to sing, at Doreen's request, at her regular Wednesday Sangria Party. Having invited myself to listen to him I went home, sorted the shopping out, collected the rubbish bags and went back out intending to dump the rubbish on my way in to El Bajondillo. Passing "Sheerin's Irish Bar" I heard a feminine voice begin to shout "Hey, Oy!" in my direction and turned to see Erica (English Erica) sat at the bar talking to David. After dealing with La Basura I joined them. Erica is doing a holiday relief there for a couple of weeks and David was passing the time-of-day with her. "Oh, I'll come with you" said David after I'd explained what I was up to. Doreen was pleased to see David; he and Christy are "her boys" and it wasn't long before David was summoned on stage to perform a song or two as well. The photo is awful due to a flat battery not firing the flash but here is Christy in full song with Doreen MC'ing behind him. The battery wasn't flat, mind, when I went out (although it wasn't fully charged either) but Erica decided to nosy through the photos in the camera's memory while I was talking to David which knocked enough stuffing out of it to prevent the flash charging up. "What's THAT!!!" she queried. "A shepherd's pie, what do you think it is?" I replied. Silence. Anyway, both the boys are together in another shot on another Camera (which wasn't working properly either, Sod's Law again) and when I get hold of it I'll post it here.

Continuing to make the most of my day off I decided to have a Chicken Curry in The Ship where I duly settled, at the bar, in the capable hands of Gary and Roisin (I think that that is how you spell her Irish name but I know that it is pronounced "Rosheen"). I can't remember how it cropped up, or with whom, but during the course of my stay there I was asked how to say "thankyou" in Russian. As it happens, I do know, and gave the answer but the very incident set me to thinking about how often, of late, people have asked me about Larisa or have expected me to know things "Russian" because of my friendship with her. I've allowed things to fizzle out between us as I have told you, due to the distance, time and changed circumstances I have found myself in. Not finished, no, "fizzled out" is about the right way to express the situation. But this incident began to raise the question in my mind about whether she was still here, in Spain, having not heard from her since early March and, strangely enough, I have long been feeling that she sort of has a right to know about what's happening with me here in Torremolinos, what with Beryl's retirement, the job, an'all. Which tells you that despite the fizzling out she is never far from my thoughts, and so here we are, back on the very subject that is the real reason why this blog exists.

I sent : Dónde estás esta noche? Te echo de menos Where are you, I miss you.
She replied : Hello!
I sent back : Hello! Hola! Pronto quiero verte, ¿si o no? Hello. I want to see you soon? Yes or no?.
She sent : Como que si Absolutely!

I then sent that I would email her because there is so much to say, and there is. And there you have it, another chapter opens perhaps. What a woman. Always there, always no more than a phonecall away. Whats wrong with me??

By now, by the way, I was in El Bar de Ana having gone there to solicit Favio's help to translate that last phrase that Lary sent (very idiomatic). Beryl came in to take over from him allowing me to doublecheck with someone who speaks English and fluent Spanish and it was she who gave me the word I have used, a very positive affirmation!

While Beryl and I were talking the fact that neither of us had seen Hilde for a while came to the fore and, talk of the devil, who should come in shortly after? Hilde with her friend, the waitress from La Placita. She has had a couple of weeks in London she says, where the weather was better than here she reckoned! Well, there's a first. So, having not seen each other for quite a while we sat outside, the 3 of us, catching up on what there was to catch up on and me also getting beyond a nod with her friend. Flitting between them and The Ship I was able to give Lisa the catfood and answer a question or two she had about her computer when I also commented that I think my tomato plants will soon need staking which is going to be difficult to do out there on my terrace. But I do have an idea about how to provide some support except that it is too late....this morning one has gone over. No damage done though, thank goodness.

Lastly I will probably go quiet for a day or two here while I write to Lary. These notes take long enough but to do it all in Spanish takes even longer. I'll be back!! Hasta Luego - until later.