Bead Shop
I parked my car in the bay opposite the shop – not feeling quite sure if I was allowed to. Entering the shop I noticed a woman with a child who I recognised but couldn’t place. I approached the woman behind the counter who was doing something with beads.
“I’m not sure if was you…”
“It was” she interrupted.
I explained that I had bought a necklace for my partner for our anniversary and she had replaced the clasp and that it had broken after a day. She apologised and offered to replace the link holding on the clasp with a stronger one. As she did this I looked around the shop – straining to try to remember the woman in the shop playing with beads with her daughter. I did, however recognise the music being played in the shop.
“This is Nick Drake isn’t it?”, I said.
“Yes” said the Bead Shop woman.
“Its great isn’t it” I smiled.
“Yes”, she said” “I Only know this album”.
“Pink Moon? “ I said.
“Yes”, she said. “The last one he made before he died. Do you know any others?”
“Only that one and Five Leaves Left.” I said.
“Is that one better?” she asked.
I thought about it. “I’m not really sure which one is which,” I confessed, “They just come up randomly on my MP3 Player”.
I thanked her for fixing the necklace and as I was leaving the woman I couldn’t place said hello and called me by my name. She reminded me who she was and I was really annoyed with myself that I hadn’t recognised her. I had met her a few times through a friend and had liked her. I think of myself as a man who is good with names and faces. She was there buying an anniversary present too.
When I returned to the car I put on Five Leaves Left to see if it was better than Pink Moon.