www.matthew-lambert.co.uk

“This way…” Adele said, as she dragged me off by the hand towards the town centre.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she continued “Was I talking rubbish again? No need to answer, I know I was. Anyway, thank you for meeting me – I needed someone to talk to. In fact, someone who would be prepared to listen and you looked like a decent sort of a person – I am right aren’t I?”
“Umm…” I stumbled, confused.
“I am right about YOU? Silly! Are you a decent sort of a person?”
“I’d like to think so.” I replied.
“Well, that’s OK then; I feel safe telling you my secrets.” She paused, contemplating for a moment, and then a mischievous smile came over her face.
“But,” she said impishly, “first you have to answer a few questions. No one would take on someone for a job without asking the candidate some pertinent questions, would they?”
“OK,” I said thoughtfully, “But, as the prospective employee, I very well might have a few questions of my own.”
“Me first though!” she jabbed. “Have you ever been involved in any significant crime?”
“No! I mean I might have got the odd parking ticket and broken the speed limit…”
“No,” she sighed, “I’m talking about burglary, stealing cars, bank heists, that sort of thing”
“No!” I said, shocked and confused.
“Good,” she said, pleased with my answer. “Two, have you ever tried to play mind games with a girlfriend?”
“Well…” I started.
“Of course you have… and you lost…” She looked at me knowingly. “Three, when was the last time you were in love?”
The question bit hard. Adele looked at me, cocking her head to one side and narrowing her eyes as if she was looking straight into me. “Recently then” she said quietly. “Four, are you still in love with her?”
“No, not anymore” I said.
“I believe you. I believe that you are not in love any more, but, love doesn’t just stop. It’s too strong an emotion to just come to a definite, sudden end. Certainly it can fade over a long period of time. Sometimes it can transmute to something else but the ripples can carry on for an age.” Adele looped her arm into mine.

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes. Adele broke the silence “I’m still feeling the ripples. I was in love and now I’m not. The after effects are still there. He, then person I loved, doesn’t understand. He doesn’t love me anymore but he is having trouble accepting it. It’s like the shadow of love has fallen over him and he can’t see past it.”

“Oh look,” she said with surprise, her mood flipping again, “we’re here.”

We were standing outside a small café, not dissimilar to the one we had left. Adele looked happy as she asked “Can we have lunch here? It’s my favourite café.” And, without pausing she added, “I could have worked here instead of the other place but I thought it would spoil it for me being here all the time and then where would I go to eat MY lunch?”

To be continued…