Friday 8th August: A face from the past‏

I've been thinking about what happened this morning; so distracted it's taken me ages to get any work done when I need to sort out my Twitter page.

I'd been to the market in the village; courgettes, tomatoes, potatoes, etc and decided to stop at the café bar for a coffee. 

I was sitting outside enjoying the peace and quiet when I heard someone come up behind me. I recognised the voice immediately and, before I could answer, Adele had invited herself to sit down at my table. She asked me how I was but, without waiting for a reply, said she'd buy me another coffee. I should have got up and left while she went inside to order, but my ingrained manners wouldn't allow it.

She was soon back, telling me that she's been in Bordeaux for three months as her mother has been ill. She then launched into a five minute monologue; how difficult it is being on her own, how she gets so lonely. I said nothing. She told me I was looking well and said she would love to call around and see me some time. I tried to put her off, saying my daughter is staying over from the U.K - the first thing that came into my head. She put on her usual expression; head to one side with a wounded look in her eyes (how well I remember that look!) I quickly finished my coffee. As I got up to leave, she made a comment on my shirt, saying how well the shade of blue suits me. You may well think it was nice to give me such a complement, however, in this case, there is a hidden meaning: the words gave me the creeps. I walked back to my car, wishing I could have told her not to come around, and to leave me alone. Why on earth can't I be direct?

Seeing her unnerved me and took me back to that time last year. I wanted to tell someone so I stopped off at Karl's place. He was in his shed, stripping down a dressing table (Robert Cray blasting at full volume from his CD player). I told Karl how I'd met Adele at a wedding I'd played at six month ago. Karl is a good listener. He stopped what he was doing and made us coffee in his kitchen. I told him how the relationship started off well enough and we seemed to be getting along fine, but after a while she became so possessive and controlling.

Before I left we went down to the lake and said hello to Gary. I'm sure he's got bigger.

I hope Adele doesn't come over to the house. She reminds me a little of the character of Netta in Hangover Square, which I finally finished reading a few days ago: totally self-centred and so demanding.

When I got back to the cottage Benjamin and Madeleine had posted a few flower heads through my letter box. My garden will soon be bare at this rate, but I don't want to say anything because it's their idea of leaving presents for me. While I was watering the herbs this evening, they came running over to see me, saying they'd been to the beach at Carnac today. I'm trying to teach Benjamin a few words of English, he's only four but he remembers everything.

Working to get second part of the interview with Laura linked together, so I can put it on the website. Trying not to think about Adele turning up. Good job she doesn't know I've got a blog on here. There again, it could solve my problem if she did. (Nah - she'd never believe it's her I'm writing about)