Crossed swords

I knew I’d seen him before – but I’ve been here so long – I ‘ve seen most people before – but I had a strong gut feeling that we’d crossed swords in the past. I’m usually good at faces – I have several of my own – but I couldn’t place him. He was just some neighbour at a local meeting who seemed a bit smug and a bit familiar.

I quite appreciated his contribution at the meeting. It was knowing but positive, prissy but practical. But I had a funny feeling I hadn’t always been so keen.

Then I was at this meeting through work and he was there too. We smiled at each other. I recognised him as a neighbour – I don’t know what he recognised me as. When he mentioned where he worked the penny sort of half dropped – you could say –the halfpenny dropped.

So this evening – when I saw him at Tesco’s – the second time I have seen him there (I know where you shop!!!) as I eyed up his 4.99 bunch of flowers and his pre-packed parsnips – I was that much away from shouting across the checkout queue

“What was it that you did to piss me off all those years ago?”.

But I didn’t. Maybe next time.