Fate

At 2 am I knocked on the door. I heard footsteps on the stairs and
the girl answered. I had seen her for the first time that day, she had
the face of an angel, freckles like snowflakes and a smile melting my
heart. And this is what she said.


"I thought you might come around. We should go out, I'm going
to get some warm clothes on and we can go for a walk. I know a place
across town that does coffee and cigarettes all night
long."


She dissapeared back upstairs, leaving the door open with no
suggestion of whether she intended me to wait there or to let myself
in. I let myself in. And this is what I saw.


There were pictures all over the walls, immacualate pictures
as clear as photographs but pencilled onto scrap paper. There was no
tv, a stereo and piles of cassettes, a settee piled high with clothes.
The dog basket was in the corner of the room, but i could not see or
hear the dog. She had been walking the dog when I saw her earlier. And
this is what happened then.


I was walking my dog through the park near my house. It is a
green park, well maintained by the council and dog owners like me and
her do our bits by scooping up dirt when it is neccessary. She was
jogging, listening to her walkman, going around the gravel path. I
watched her pass me and waited where i was, knowing she would come
round again. She did do. And this is what she said.


"I've seen you around. Your dog's cute." she smiled. "We
should get together for a coffee one day."
"That sounds great" I said, shocked at her brazen invitation.
"Come round to my flat whenever you want" she said and continued her
run.


She came down the stairs, wearing a thick red jumper, a hat
and gloves.
"Aren't you interested in how I found out where you lived?" I asked.



We went for a coffee and shared a packet of cigarettes
together. Before she left, she asked me what I thought about fate. And
this is what I said.


"I think me and you meeting is fate. I think it was written
in the stars, we were meant to be together forever. On the day I was
born, i was destined to meet you, on this day, at that park, at that
time. On the day you were born, you were destined to meet me at that
park, at that time, and to say those words. It was fate that I told one
of my neighbours the story of the girl i met in the park and how I
didn't know her address but could envisage myself being in her living
room, and that she would be artistic, romantic and perfect. It was fate
that he recognised my description of you, fate that he had the address
to hand and fate that his hunch was right. Fate had bought us together,
and nothing would tear us apart."


She finished her second coffee, laughed a silent laugh and
said
"You misunderstand. Fate is the name of my dog."