Lisa, Howard and myself sat in a cafe close to Spitalfields market one day in December 2003. Howard was visiting us from the U.S. where he had moved a few years previously. It was a great occasion, Howard's visit. We always have a lot of fun together and here, in the cafe, we were laughing and telling each other stories and having a good time.
Lisa had been Christmas shopping earlier that day and now she decided to try to guess what I might have got her for Christmas. I said that I thought that guessing was a bad idea, after all, what if she guessed right and spoiled the surprise?
‘But you could never guess what I have found for you.’ Lisa told me. She was convinced of that. 'Never, ever.'
‘I bet I can’
‘I bet you can’t’
‘I bet I can.’
Lisa whispered the secret in Howard's ear.
‘You will never,’ he explained, ‘guess what it is.’
'You've got me a stuffed bird.’ I said automatically.
'You told him!' she cried.
Lisa had seen an ancient, stuffed sea gull in the market that she knew I would like. It is a beautiful bird and I do hope that it wasn't killed by the taxidermist, but died a natural death. I have no idea how I guessed correctly. We had never discussed stuffed birds, I hadn't seen the seagull in the market, how I guessed such an obscure thing, with my first attempt, is a mystery.
Sadly, the gull became a moth factory. It has long since stopped producing moths and isn't in such bad shape but is in a plastic bag in my parents' attic nevertheless, which reminds me, I have to get it back from them.
Lisa had been Christmas shopping earlier that day and now she decided to try to guess what I might have got her for Christmas. I said that I thought that guessing was a bad idea, after all, what if she guessed right and spoiled the surprise?
‘But you could never guess what I have found for you.’ Lisa told me. She was convinced of that. 'Never, ever.'
‘I bet I can’
‘I bet you can’t’
‘I bet I can.’
Lisa whispered the secret in Howard's ear.
‘You will never,’ he explained, ‘guess what it is.’
'You've got me a stuffed bird.’ I said automatically.
'You told him!' she cried.
Lisa had seen an ancient, stuffed sea gull in the market that she knew I would like. It is a beautiful bird and I do hope that it wasn't killed by the taxidermist, but died a natural death. I have no idea how I guessed correctly. We had never discussed stuffed birds, I hadn't seen the seagull in the market, how I guessed such an obscure thing, with my first attempt, is a mystery.
Sadly, the gull became a moth factory. It has long since stopped producing moths and isn't in such bad shape but is in a plastic bag in my parents' attic nevertheless, which reminds me, I have to get it back from them.
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