I woke up to my phone receiving an SMS.
Deb! I had a dream of you last night! It was so vivid! You were in Thailand with a tall dude with brown hair. He made you really happy and took you out all the time. Keep your eyes peeled you might meet him today!
What a great message to start the day! Thanks, Bonnie. My other old high school friend. I hadn’t heard from her in weeks, but ours was a friendship that kept coming back. It was going to be a good day.
I breezed into work and started bouncing off the walls. To my further delight- Knight was working! I rebounded off the ceiling, landed within inches of his face and announced:
‘I’m doing it! I’m going to do exactly what you said- backpack around Australia!’ He held up his hand and we slapped a high-five.
It felt so good to say: ‘I’m doing it.’ Nothing had actually happened yet but hearing those words aloud from my own mouth made it feel so real. My heart’s desire was making its way into the physical world! Every customer that came in that day received the best service ever. The regular customers who came in all commented on how I seemed to be glowing; that I seemed so much more vibrant than usual. I told everyone why. I was spreading the word! I thought maybe the more people who knew, the more real it would be and the more surely it would happen. Knight in the meantime had been busy making the coffees and hot chocolates with a half-smile. When things slowed down, he called me over to the coffee bar.
‘If you’re going by road I’ll come with you. I’ll ride with you near Brisbane where my family is.’
‘…Why?’
‘I’d like to see Australia up close and personal. If you want the company, I’ll come.’
I scoffed. ‘Yeah, alright! Come along!’ Whatever! He had to be kidding. True or false, there was nothing that could stop me. Not this time. For years I let petty excuses get in the way; my friends are all busy, the weather isn’t right, mum needs me this weekend for a tour, my boyfriend’s an isolated ass. No more! Solo, duo, orgy, I’m going.
My shift ended and I signed out. I felt someone at my shoulder and found Knight reaching for the pen I was still using.
‘Hurry up, we wanna get out of here.’ Ooooh, he’s finished his shift too!
‘Game on.’ We bolted for the stairs to the bag-room. I shoved him against the wall and beat him in. We struggled between laughing and panting. I looked up and was struck by how tall he was.
He pulled out his phone. ‘What’s your number?’
‘Are you hitting on me?’
‘If we want to do this road trip, I’ll need your number, won’t I?’
I sniffed. As if he’d join me. But I gave it to him anyway.
Knight pulled on a grey, knitted V-neck sweater. ‘Gosh, I like clothes. I don’t get people who care so much about labels. Looking good’s got nothing to do with it.’ I cocked my head. I don’t even wear make-up.
‘Argh, I look like such a boof-head!’ and tried to un-boof his chestnut brown hair.
I laughed.
‘We can’t be as naturally beautiful as you, Deb.’
I blushed. More civilly, we exited the shop.
‘Where are you going?’
‘My tram stop’s this way.’ I nodded to the right. Knight hesitated with a tiny pivot to the left.
‘Alright, I’ll walk you there.’ I shrugged. Knight strode alongside me and I found I had to really move my little legs to keep up.
‘It’ll be good to travel around a bit. I want to do something while I wait for this Enjee-Oh to give me a call to see when I could go over there to help.’
‘Who’s Enjee-Oh? She sounds like a Korean exchange student…who needs help…’
Knight stopped. ‘You are so cute! N.G.O. Non-Government Organisation. Don’t worry, it’s just boring, do-gooder stuff.’ We strode on.
Cute? No one calls me cute. ‘What do you mean by ‘over there’? Is it abroad?’
‘It’s a Christian organization. In Thailand’
Thailand…?
‘Is this you?’ A tram had just pulled up to the stop as we arrived. Wow, what a short walk.
‘Oh right, thanks.’ I was flustered. ‘Um… I’ll see you soon, yeah?’
‘For sure. I’ll give you a call about our trip’
I grinned. 'Right'. The tram doors closed and I saw him walk back where we came.
