15 Apr 2008 @ 11:30, by Enocia Joseph
When I arrived at the library, I was told the Internet was down. I decided I would take a bus ride to Richmond and go for a long walk in the park. At Richmond, I stopped off at the local library to use their Internet. I also browsed a friend’s website of a House she is running in Scotland, which is for backpackers and a Highland retreat. I noticed one of the rooms was called the "Rainbow Room." I started day-dreaming about what it would be like to spend time at the retreat.
When I came out of the library it was raining. I wished for dry weather and the rain stopped and the sun came out. I decided I was no longer in the mood to go for a walk in Richmond Park, so I caught the bus back into town.
During the journey I fell asleep. When I woke up, I noticed a man beside me was looking at an A-Z (street map) and checking to see where he was. I asked him if he needed any assistance. He told me where he was headed and that he needed to catch another bus into central London. I told him I was headed in the same direction and I would tell him how to get there.
My friend told me he was from Australia; he was born and bred in the UK but emigrated to Australia many years ago. He said he and his wife were over here on holidays visiting some friends at Doncaster. He was in London for the weekend for an exhibition. I said I used to have an Aussie boyfriend who lived in a town called Brigg in North Lincolnshire. I would travel to Doncaster where he would pick me up at the station and we would drive back to his place. My friend said he knew Brigg. I told him about towns and cities around Lincolnshire that I’ve been to and he was very familiar with them. I said when my boyfriend returned home to Australia I went to visit him. I told him what places I had been to.
We got off at the bus station and caught our next bus into central London and we continued our conversation. My friend asked if he could take my photo but his camera was playing up at the time. As we were approaching Kensington Gardens, I told him there was a Memorial Fountain for the late Princess Diana. My friend said he used to like Diana. I said if he wasn’t in a rush to get anywhere, I could take him to see the Memorial. He was up for it so we got off and walked through the park. My friend said he liked walking as he believed it kept him fit. I was getting the walk I had in mind. It was raining at the time but it only lasted for a few minutes.
As we were approaching the Memorial, we saw the most fantastic rainbow hovering around the Serpentine pond. Actually, there were two of them: the one on top which was quite faint in comparison to the one at the bottom whose colours were so vibrant I could almost feel them. I told my friend about how I had seen a Rainbow Room at my friend’s website and now I was seeing a rainbow for real.
The Memorial was quite empty at the time, which was very unusual as it tends to attract lots of visitors. Perhaps the weather had put people off. Even though I’ve been to that Memorial many times, it always brings a lot of joy to my heart when I visit it. It’s even more fun when I share the visit with a friend. My friend and I walked round the Memorial and admired the fountain and the way the water flowed around it.
My friend was so easy to be with and to talk to. It felt like I’d known him forever, which I’m sure I have. We walked through the park and continued to share life experiences and stories. Then he offered to take me out to dinner and I accepted. We were going to go for some pizza but the restaurant was crowded so I suggested we go into a department store which has a cafe in the basement. We had some sandwiches and a drink and chatted some more. He tried his camera and this time he was successful and he took my picture. He said after we’d finished our meal, he was going to call his wife and he wanted me to speak to her. No sooner had he had the thought his wife rang. The reception wasn’t very good because we were in the basement. When we finished our food, we went outside and he called his wife and told her what he’d been up to. I chatted to her for a few minutes and told her I was having fun with her husband. Finally we went to a pub where we had one drink and chatted some more.
Thank you, Universe, for showing me the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Enocia
Related articles: Paradox; When I Expect Wonder, I Experience Wonder
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