Old Friends, New Friends

Faced with the rare, unaccustomed luxury of a day entirely to myself: no work, no appointments, no one to answer to for anything, I found myself in a dilemma: should I be sensible and go grocery shopping, checking out the amenities of my new home, or should I take advantage of a beautiful sunny day (with more than a hint of a breeze) to explore a little farther afield and possibly take the chance of running into an old friend. 

Being a woman of rare good sense, I opted for the more nerve-wracking option.  Courage is always a good thing to flex. 

Having missed the local shuttle bus, I gambled on my thumb.  The risk paid off fairly quickly, as I was picked up by two women on their way home from grocery shopping.  They dropped me off just a couple of blocks from my friend's workplace. I swear that he must have every kid's ultimate fantasy job, especially every kid who ever read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: he manages a candy store.  And not just any candy store, but one that sells every type of candy you ever loved or heard about as a kid and can't find any more.  You name it -- salt-water taffy, every kind of penny candy you can dream of, chocolate, liquorice, giant lollipops, a dozen different kinds of fudge, most of it arrayed in plexiglas bins and apothecary jars.  Candy cigarettes, PEZ dispensers of every possible variety you could imagine.  You name it, they stock it.  And if they don't stock it, they will most likely source it for you. 

After fourteen years, it was gratifying to see the look on his face when I walked in the door: the shocked surprise, followed by the instant recognition.  I spent the afternoon hanging out in the candy store, or just out front in the sunshine, catching up, and marveling at the sensation that almost no time had passed. 

When it was time to go, I had once again missed the bus, so I had to use my thumb.  The first car to pass, stopped.  As I got to chatting with the driver, it turned out that her husband works for the golf course right next to the hotel where I work, and that they have a basement suite available for rent, just as I am looking for accommodations.  She then invited me to her home to check out the suite, introduced me to  her husband, fed me tea and cookies, and then they drove me back to the hotel.  I think I may have made a new friend.  And all because I decided to reach out to an old one.