I awoke this morning to another fine spring day... but alas now, clouds are rolling in.
Oh well. I ended up taking a rather impromptu trip to the Hometown with brother Wombat to visit my parents. One thing about these visits is the risk of running into someone I once knew and not remembering who they are now. It's a curse of growing up in a small town.
Sure enough, there we were. I'd forgotten my toothbrush and was missing it terribly. I decided to walk to a nearby convenience store for another. My dad and brother joined me.
A couple of blocks from the house was a crew of city worker guys working on a water pipe. As we strolled past, one says, "Hey Wombat! Abby! Hi Mr. Dad! It's Carlos."
None of us had a clue as to who he was.
He and my brother shook hands and did a quick 2-minute summary as to where they'd been since ... well... whenever they'd supposedly known each other, while my dad and I stood there all smiley-like.
In fact, my brother did such a good job, I was sure that he'd figured out who the mystery man was, so I asked him as we were out of earshot.
"Who was that?" I says.
"Carlos", Wombat says.
"Carlos who?", I says
"I dunno", Wombat says, "just Carlos".
Crap, he didn't know either!
From then on, I was on alert. In the convenience store, I carefully studied the guy who rung up my toothbrush - some vague familiarity about his face, but... nothing more. We decided to get coffee at McDonald's. The place was crawling with vaguely familiar people, but nothing obvious. In the recesses of my mind, I know that I KNOW some of those McDonald's people, but just couldn't quite make the full connection.
Today, I'm back home. Still wondering about the mysterious Carlos. Maybe it just bugs me because he seemed so nice, and he so quickly recognized all of us.
I know it will continue to bug me, especially when I brush my teeth.
.
4 comments:
Some day, as "they say," the mystery of Carlos will be solved.
If it makes you feel any better, I asked a very young woman, "How's your baby?"
She didn't have one.
Oops, she looks just like "someone" I know who has a baby.
I've done the same thing as Wombat. You keep talking with them on the slim hope that somehow they will drop a clue as to where you know them from. Sorry to say, but that happens when you get older...
Ha! If you're looking for familiar faces, you'll see them--anywhere you go!
Oh, that has got to be an awful feeling! I hope you soon figure out the mystery of Carlos.
Post a Comment