that perhaps happen more often in a city the size of this one. It is a small city by world standards, perhaps only a city because it does have a cathedral - two in fact.
I mention cathedrals simply because the man sitting in the room was making notes from a well thumbed Bible and I was about to eject him. It was the room the library knitting group has booked on a regular basis. We sometimes find other people using it. Not all of them want to move out so I am cautious about the way in which I tell them, "I'm sorry but unless you want to know about knits and purls and more then you will need to find somewhere else."
This man was not a problem. He agreed readily that of course he would move. He looked at me though in a puzzled sort of way and I wondered what was wrong. I couldn't have my lunch down the front of me. I had not yet eaten it.
He shook his head. "I've seen you somewhere before but I can't think where...." That is not so surprising either but then he asked, "Teacher...library?"
"Once...a long time ago," I told him. I told him where I had worked as a school librarian.
"Oh I was at E... at the time."
"Then you would know my father," I told him.
His face lit up,
"You're (the Senior Cat's) daughter of course?"
I nodded. For once being "someone's daughter" was not an issue. He was obviously delighted at the thought.
We chatted for a moment about this and other people we both knew. Only where we had a common profession in a city of this size would we both have known so many people.
He packed his things together, hesitated and then touched me briefly, almost imperceptibly, on the arm and said, "He was the best head of school I worked under. He taught me so much. Thanks for talking to me."
I watched him leave. Apart from shaking hands it is rare for us to touch one another now. Another member of our group had seen him do it and looked at me as he went off. I smiled and told her, "That was all right. He needed to do it."
I think he was touching the past.
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