So autumn has come and the Norwegian husband decided today to take the boat over to point B, and there they will store it and “cherish” it the whole winter. I take a modest part in this undertaking. My task is to drive the car to this very point B and wait for my husband on the shore. Since I am not a born sailor, I always feel anxiety letting him go to sea alone. And of course, at my request he takes as companions his younger daughter, and the daughter took with her a dog of that strange hard-to-pronounce breed Chihuahua and a new boyfriend. And I am calmer that way.
In the morning I prepared lunch (food for me is sacred!), so that having done the job we could, arriving home, have lunch at once. Anyway, they got ready, put on life jackets, warm clothes and left the house for the quay. And I half an hour later, unhurriedly, drove the car. Sunday, the road half empty, not loaded with cars. Already, when I was approaching the town, in front of me, on my way, appeared a woman on a bicycle. Seems there is nothing to be surprised about. And still I am surprised and even irritated: “Well why drag along a narrow road if a special bicycle path is laid parallel!” All right. I drive by all the rules: I switch on the left indicator and at a distance of one metre from the cyclist calmly pass, returning to the road, and further a new obstacle awaits me — a skier on roller skis, waving poles, well here I already drew level with him, waited until he looked my way and showed him with my hand the empty path.
The skier turned out to be a not-young man with some kind of detached look… And you know what I thought, that this not-young man in excellent physical form has senile dementia, and the woman on the bicycle is accompanying him, I don’t need to be irritated about their illogical movement.
Anyway I arrived early, having read an SMS from my husband, I thought I would still have to wait about 20 minutes on the shore. The wind blows, the sun shines, waves on the sea, I walk looking at new boats of various models. They stand in the street by the boat shop. The shop is closed — Sunday, and on Sunday all shops are closed. In the distance many people have gathered on the embankment — in the centre of town there are races of runners of all ages from small to great. Anyway I walk, looking at the sea.
At some moment I felt such a strong hunger! And I had not taken anything edible (usually I do). I look, some man with a backpack has come to the shore. I think, probably he is also waiting for a boat. He sat down on the little porch by the shop and looks toward the sea. He saw me, started talking about the weather. That is natural. And I have one thought: to ask him for food, a piece of bread, but I don’t dare. I continue walking around and about with my thoughts of food. And once more I looked his way. It seemed to me that he had a sandwich in his hands. I came a little closer…. and he is holding a lady’s compact with a little mirror and carefully examining his face… “No comments.”