My Welcome back....

Sat in 'The Eastern' our local Indian Take Out waiting for our Chicken Korma, Chicken Balti and pilau rice, (ok and poppodoms, chapati and a nan) I tried to work out my feelings as to being back after a good two week holiday.

I gazed out into the street through reversed flickering neon into the world that is home. I see the same faces of those that periodically wander into our church looking food - staggering and lurching up the street. I see an African family carrying their provisions for the night. I look at the bus queue and see every nationality waiting for the D6. As I gaze out into my world I talk cricket with the Bengali waiter I see three or four police cars 'blue lighting' through the dense traffic. Hours before we were camping in West Wight on the Isle of Wight - now we are back and I wonder what I feel.

The next day I am ploughing my way through emails and piles of washing when there is a knock at the door. I knew who it was before I opened the door. I'd heard him when he was way down the street.

"Gor----don.... Gordon.... Gooooooooooorrrrrrrrrr ddddooooon"

I often wonder what our neighbours think when Patrick calls.

I open the door and before I can say hello Patrick "so a vicar and a nun are getting married.......what are you going to do about that one?"

Patrick is there beaming, outstretched in his hand a week-old paper he has saved from a bin in the market for me. He continues with some nonsense involving a wooden submarine and the Isle of Wight - "did you have a nice time...I'm glad you're back!"

He shakes my hand and he is gone chuckling his way down our street.

I feel welcomed back and I am glad to be back.

Comments

nick said…
we may not be as 'distinct' as patrick, but your friends in stratford welcome you back as well - all three of us!

BTW - you really shouldn't give up too easily, you're not bad at the blogging thing!
Gordon said…
now you've started Nick - I'll sit back and read yours! Hope you and yours!! are well
Anonymous said…
Love Chicken Korma and all the trimmings - our favourite...

Glad you had a good holiday.

Glenda
Kathryn said…
Gordon...please don't abandon blogging. I must have missed a reference, I guess (life a tad frantic here)but we do really value your posts, and the window you open onto a very different world from this rather smug suburban church.
PLEASE...
Oh, and glad it feels right to be back. Hope the break was restorative :-)
Gordon said…
Don't worry Kathryn - I blog on! It was a tongue in cheek message I left on nick's blog.
Kathryn said…
Phew.
As yet there appears to be no treatment for bloggers dependency syndrome, so I'm relieved that my fix will still be available ;-)

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