Chapter Twenty-Five: Orange and Poppy Seed, Part II (~jinghan)

I’m walking to the tram stop, my  bag bouncing against my hip with the weight of orange and poppy seed muffins.

“Hello,” a quiet voice says.

My friend comes up behind me so quietly and unexpectedly that it takes me a little while to respond. “Oh hi! I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone at uni today. How are you?” Oh and more importantly. “Do you want some cake?”

If he noticed the flaw in my logic, regarding not expecting to run into anyone at uni and still brining a box of cake with me, he is too polite to say anything. And we chat about exams, past and prospective as we tram to uni. When we part ways I think I notice a stray poppy seed at the edge of his smile. I smile to myself as I head off.

I need to buy some presents for various birthdays coming up this month and I find myself at the Oxfam fair trade store pondering over little fat fingers of fair trade chocolate, a stack of scrumptiously named teas and various handmade crafts. I end up taking some chocolate to the counter, but while the lady behind the counter is distracted answering a phone call I notice a cute little fabric owl that fit perfectly into the palm of my hand.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what is this for?” I ask the lady when she has hung up the phone and taking my purchases across the counter.

“It’s a tape measure, see?”

I’m seduced by the charm of the little owl who has a curled up tape measure hidden under it’s wing. “Actually, forget the chocolates. Can I get this instead?”

On my way out, I catch sight of a beautiful cloth-covered box and cannot help having a closer look. It is not too expensive either and I could fill it with some nice little scrolled up messages for my friend…

I return to the counter sheepishly with the box. The lady smiles as she takes it over and asks me about my day. “Would you like a bag to put that in?”

“Yes, that would be really great. Actually… I have a box of muffins that I made with me at the moment, would you like one? They’re orange and poppy seed.”

She gladly takes one and put its on a tissue in the back room. “Thankyou! Have a nice day,” she says as she hands me my purchase in a pretty brown paper bag.

Loaded with bags I’m walking up to Flinders Street Station to meet a friend. I can’t help noticing a Big Issue seller sitting outside Young and Jackson’s Hotel writing something in a notebook. The ink curling of the his pen into some private contemplation on the paper. It reminds me of all the times and all the unlikely places that I have done the exact same thing. I almost cross the street when the pedestrian light turns green, but instead I turn back and approach him.

“Hi, could I have an issue?”

He puts down the note pad and pen and get up to do business with me.

“Thankyou,” I say as he flicks through the magazine to show me his favourite articles and then hands it over to me. “Actually, I was also wondering if you would like a muffin. I made a box of them and I’m just sharing them around today.”

He gladly accepts and balances the muffin on top of his coffee cup. And asks me about my day. He tells me about himself, how he played music for a while, but never had the chance to finish his arts degree and is thinking of going back. He tells me about all the areas in Australia he has been to, and all the bush land he has camped in, and how he hopes to go to the UK to travel some day. And he tells me about all the good work the Big Issue is doing. And we talk for a good 20minutes before I see my friend across the road.

“Thankyou for the cake!” he says.

“Thankyou for the magazine!” I say.

But what I really mean is: thankyou for the conversation.

I make my way to the other side of the street to be greeted by a warm hug. “How has your day been?”

“It’s been great actually, it just keeps getting better and better, and I think the trend is continuing,” I say smiling at him.

He smiles back.

“Oh, I have cake, by the way.”

[to be continued…]