It was a café like any other. The early morning rush was over and there was only a few people left mainly sheltering from the rain.
In a corner two elderly women were discussing the film "Cathy Come Home" which had been on the telly the previous night. To the left of them, alone at a table, sat a man in his early forties. He nursed a mug of tea, deep in thought; his grey eyes staring into the abyss.
Just then the door opened and a short attractive young woman walked in. She was shabbily dressed, her hair matted, hands and face grubby. She was obviously down on her luck but she gave the impression that she had been used to better times.
The young woman walked over to the counter and ordered a cup of tea and a small cake.
"That will be one shilling," said the manageress, "and I don't want any trouble from you, otherwise I'll have the police onto you this time."
The girl said that there would be no trouble and apologised for any inconvenience she had caused previously.
"We'll see," said the manageress. The girl took her tea and cake, and sat at the back. She began to sip the tea.
The man who was sitting alone suddenly looked up and saw the young woman sitting alone. He studied her intently for several minutes. She was sitting quietly studying a newspaper.
The man finished his tea, went over to the counter and ordered another mug. He then took the tea and walked over to where the woman was sitting.
"Do you mind if I join you?" asked the man. The woman suddenly looked up surprised. She studied him closely for a moment and the surprised herself by saying "no not at all."
"Anything interesting?" the man asked.
"Possibly," said the woman. "Have you ever stood on the edge of a cliff and just wanted to jump, and stick two fingers up and say I don't care, it's my choice?"
The man thought for a moment then quietly he said "Yes, but I can fly."
The woman laughed out loud and the manageress frowned.
The man looked at the woman he could see she had not eaten properly for a long time so he asked her if she would like something to eat. His treat. Immediately she was suspicious. "I'm not for sale," she said.
"I didn't think that you were. It's just that I was going to have a sandwich and didn't like the thought of eating alone."
"Sorry, in that case I would love to join you. "
At that the man ordered a bacon sandwich and a full English breakfast with extra rounds of toast. He watched her eat; she was obviously hungry but she did not rush.
After she had finished he asked her what she had meant by her question. She said that she had been in hospital for a long time with emotional problems, and since she got out she had been sleeping rough. "It's just I can't seem to remember anything about my life. Only flashes. I can remember small bits like my mothers face; at least I think it's my mother. And other little things like being sent home from school because I was feeling sick and on the way home I witnessed a car crash. I remember looking for a phone to report it and then ... it goes blank. Other things are just too fantastical."
"What do you remember about the hospital?" he enquired.
"Not much. It was more like a torture chamber. Its walls, floors and ceilings were white. I was in a ward by myself for the whole time that I was there; which could have been a week, or a year. They kept me drugged and in a straight jacket the whole time." She began to sob and the man put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it away.
"I'm fine," she said, a little too loudly. The manageress looked over but the man gestured that everything was okay.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."
"That's okay. It's me who should be sorry. I still get emotional from time to time, but the director of the hospital said that I was very strong minded and that I would fulfil my mission in life. Funny thing to say."
"Yes it is," the man agreed.
They chatted some more and then the young woman said "I must go now. Thank you for breakfast." The clock was chiming 11 o'clock. "I'm going to take charge of my life again."
"Good for you," said the man. "Nice meeting you again."
She looked puzzled but he just smiled. She picked up her Daily Chronicle, put her jacket on and walked out into the rain.
He stood watching her for a while. When she was out of sight he closed his eyes, sadly. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
So many mistakes, so much unfinished business. So much that couldn't be undone.
