I love familiar places as much as I love the adventure of travelling somewhere new; something reassuring that there is continuity of activity even if you yourself are absent. I hadn’t made it to The Hope Café since we got back from Estoril, so it was a little potluck as to who was there on Tuesday afternoon. ‘Ah!’ I thought, ‘Josh has gone back to Israel’, as he was not behind the counter and the candle was back, a testament that our thoughts go with him. Despite him being wounded when he was last with the IDF (see PCs 361, 368 and 378), he recovered very quickly and there was a lasting legacy of action, of tension, of excitement; no wonder he’s gone back. I imagine he’ll be used in some support role.
A quick scan of the occupied tables and I recognise Sami, Anna and Robert. The latter has his head down into his laptop on the window counter, hopefully being creative, so I decide not to disturb him.
Sami looks up. “You look as though you’ve a lot on your mind, Richard!”
“Hi! Sami. How are you? Sorry! Am I wearing some underlying tension on my face?”
“Yes. Not usual for you; you’re normally fairly laid back, unstressed, calm. Where were you yesterday? Had hoped to see you.”
“A very good chum of mine, a Canadian called Bill Pender, had died of cancer. Never one to make a fuss, he didn’t want the mawkishness of a funeral, rather a ‘Celebration of (his) Life’. That was yesterday in Salisbury; he had a very good turnout, despite the weather, and good to exchange memories of Bill with others. But the slight stressful look? Actually, it’s not about me but my daughter and her family. They are buying her grandmother’s house and frankly it reminds me of that film with Tom Hanks and someone ……”
“The Money Pit? With Shelley Long ……”
“Exactly. This is a house that’s been allowed to become decrepit through lack of maintenance, doesn’t have a kitchen or working bathroom, has a hole in the roof but with lots of TLC could be a wonderful family home for her, Sam and their three boys.”
“So why are you looking so concerned, it’s not you buying it?”
“For all sorts of reasons, they exchanged on the house without exchanging on their own ….. although their purchaser says he’s firmly committed to buying it!”
“Woah! Now that’s risky but ….”
“Funny how purchasing a house, possibly the most expensive item you will ever own, is never straight forward and one of those four ‘most stressful things in life’; divorce being another! But, Sami, you became bankrupt after the Post Office wrongly accused you of fraud ….. and you lost your home.”
“Indeed. I lost everything and went back to square one. The Post Office eventually made an acceptable compensation offer and Lisa and I have found somewhere together down here in Hove. She’ll keep her house in Folding-over-Sheet and enjoy the rental income. Did you personally do something so risky as your daughter?”
“No, although her situation has brought back some memories of house purchases. I bought my first for £29,500 and four years later my second, which we couldn’t afford but you kid yourself somehow you will. Fortunately I was never in a negative-equity situation with a large mortgage! A decade or two later I bought a terraced house in Battersea and, after we’d exchanged, someone offered an extra £10,000. I had written to the owner to say how much I was going to love living in her house, la-di-dah-di-dah, and she turned down the bigger offer (phew!). And I almost lost our large apartment in Amber House here in Hove …..
“It is big, isn’t it Richard. I remember when Lisa and I came to supper (See PCs 329 and 330) we were in love with the tall ceilings and gorgeous proportions.”
“….. as my now ex wouldn’t commit to somewhere for herself. We exchanged three days before it was to go back on the open market! Seems a long time ago! I noticed the candle’s back up on the counter. You surprised Josh has gone back?”
“No, not really. He’s young and he got so fired up the last time. I feel sorry for Luke, left behind and always going to dread an unexpected telephone call. Libby said they have bought a dog, a Norfolk Terrier, to keep Luke busy!”
“Great idea! Hey! Listen. Must go and speak to Anna. (See PCs 358 and 365). Been good to catch up; love to Lisa and see you anon.”
And with that, and a squeeze of my hand on his shoulder, I got up and moved across to Anna. I don’t know her at all well but had noticed she’d been away during the Paralympics in Paris (28 Aug – 8 Sep).
“Hi! Anna. Hadn’t seen you and assumed you’d gone to Paris. Were you competing or simply in some support role?”
“I didn’t make the wheelchair basketball team as here in the UK we have too many extraordinarily gifted players, but I went to the Bercy Arena to support them. The Netherlands won gold, the USA silver and China bronze; we came fifth, although I am pleased our men’s team won silver.”
“You’ll try for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028?”
“I’ll see! Working full time restricts the amount of time I can dedicate to training …… and you need to be extremely dedicated! Listen, need to finish this report but good to see you.”
On my way out, I pass by Sami’s table. “Forgot to say, Sami, I’ve shrunk!”
“Sorry?”
“I have always been 6ft 2̋ which equates to 187cms. In a recent medical, I confidently replied ‘187’ to the obvious question, to be told that I was now 183. I’ve lost four centimetres Sami! Where did they go?”
“Where indeed …….”
Richard 4th October 2024
Hove
postcards 