THAT NIGHT BEFORE.

A MAN AND WOMAN ABROAD ON HOLIDAY IN 1972

Abela waits for me
at a table outside
some cafe in town

she's smoking
and looking at the book
she'd brought

a waitress had taken her order
of coffee and pancakes  

a guy a few tables a way
gives her the eye
he sits one leg
crossed over the other
he's confident of his looks
and the bright shirt he's wearing
he smokes a French cigarette
even though he's not in France
he studies her figure
drinks in her legs
coming down
from her short skirt
the feet in her sandals

she senses him looking
(how do you dames do that?)
she looks at him
over the pages
of her open book

he smiles
moves his head to one side
as if to suggest
she go sit next to him

she lowers her eyes
to the page
tries to take in the words
but she's lost it now
and her mind
has been invaded by him
she's beginning to wonder
where I've got to
and stares at the page
of her book
(crappy book anyway)

the guy's smile
seems frozen to his face
his eyes feed on her
every visible part of her

I see Abela sitting
at the table
outside the cafe

I have managed to shower
myself sober to a degree
but a headache lingers
at the corner of my mind
like an actor
waiting to come on stage
when the times right

I take a seat opposite her
I've arrived
I say

at last
thought you'd drowned yourself

you don't sound relived
that I'm here
maybe I should
have drowned
and got rid
of the lingering headache
that way

you're not the headache
that guy over there is
keeps gaping at me

how do you know
he's gaping at you?

I've looked

so you were gaping at him?

no I just sensed
he was undressing me
with his eyes

how far did he get?

it's not funny
he's intimidating me

I look behind me
at the guy
and give him
my best Clint Eastwood stare

he looks away
and waves to a waitress
I look back at Abela

did you order for me?

no wasn't sure
if you were up
to drinking
she says
from behind her book

I wave a hand to a waiter
standing by the door
of the cafe
he comes over
and I order
coke and bread roll and jam
and he nods and goes off

I see the guy behind me
chatting up the waitress
and making her laugh

I turn and look at Abela
how's the book?

she lowers it
give the guy a stare
and says
crappy book
but it's better than looking
at an empty chair

well I'm here now
so we can talk

what about?

What would you like
to talk about?

last night?

what about last night?

you were making eyes
at that waitress
in the restaurant of the hotel
and being suggestive

to you?

no to her

I pull a face
and light up a cigarette
I bummed then?

yes you did
and I had to help you
to our room

thanks

don't thank me
I had help

who from?

Mr Green helped me

that old buzz?

yes that old buzz
at least he was sober
and civilized

good for him
bet his crabby wife
wasn't pleased

no she wasn't
she looked daggers

doesn't she always?

a waitress brought Abela
her coffee and pancakes
and she put down her book

I waited and watched
giving her
my softer
Clint Eastwood look.