3 April
‘Is your name Rebecca?’
Me and this guy from sixth form have been coming to the same gym for a year or two. I thought he didn’t want to speak to me so settled into avoiding eye contact. We finally crossed paths as he is leaving so left with no option but to enter the speaking dimension.
‘Yes… hi!’ I smile broadly at him.
‘You went to…’.
He shakes my hand. Shakes my hand?
‘Duncan.’
‘Duncan!’ I remember his name now.
Yes, weird name for an Asian boy. He doesn’t even look mixed. What’s with that? And Catholic educated. Is he actually Catholic too?
‘I’ve meant to speak to you before but you have always been in the middle of…’ I say.
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you live round here? ‘I ask mesmerised by the teeth. I don’t remember him having such terrible teeth. He’s very good looking apart from them.
‘Yes.’
‘I live in Fulham. This is my nearest gym.’
He nods.
‘What are you doing these days?’
‘I’m a school teacher.’
‘Cool!’ I say. Not that it is but what else can you say?
‘I teach at St Paul’s.’
‘That’s amazing!’ Now, that is cool. Well, impressive.
‘Are you in touch with anyone?’ he asks. God, I have to think. Who am I still speaking to? So many have been struck off the list.
‘Ricky… he’s had a baby.’
‘I think I…’
I’m Godmother. Umm… Sean… Patrick.’
‘Didn’t Patrick steal all the kitkats?’
‘Oh, probably!’
‘I’m sure it was him!
‘Who are you in touch with?’
He names a couple of boys I vaguely remember.
‘Rupert has had a baby.’
‘Oh my God!’
Rupert was super clever and had a kind of crush on me for a bit.
‘What’s he doing?’
‘He’s a school teacher.’
‘What? That’s hilarious. Sorry.’
‘It’s alright.’
‘He went to Oxford!’
‘What do you do?’ he asks in a slightly indignant tone. I deserve it. Who do I think I am?
‘PR Consultant’ I say smiling and wagging my imaginary bunny’s tail.
He nods approvingly.
‘He was doing shit jobs for ages so….’ Reminds me of Sean. Funny. They are both much brighter than me but I earn probably double what they do. You need more than brains in this life.
It is odd Duncan and I haven’t spoken before considering how affable we are being now.
‘Well I’m off now,’ he announces, ending the conversation. We have been talking for a while now and we weren’t great friends or anything so it’s allowed. No asking me for a drink though. Hee hee.
‘See you soon.’
As he leaves I wonder at myself. Again. Who do I think I am? Really. ’That’s hilarious’. Who says that? My mother.
This is why he didn’t bother talking to me before.
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About
‘When I grow up I’m going to marry a prince, Granny.’
Fast forward 27 years. I’m a hot, successful, kind and affectionate, officially ‘grown up’ girl-about-town. Still in search of The One. It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m in bed. Alone. Tanked up on Valium.
The quest has been active now for the best part of 20 years. I know he’s out there. I just need to find out where and how to find him. Things have got to change.
This is going to be my year. I just know it. So I have decided to document my experiences to amuse more than anything else. In so doing, the creative process may provide some kind of personal enlightenment and help face my demons too. And who knows. The journey may lead me to my prince. And where the chronicles begin.
