Thought for the day:"Apparently “Stroke Patients here” means something different. I am banned from the hospital"
Interesting meeting on Saturday, and almost scammed methinks... there I was after the Royal & Select meeting, and dressed in my power suit I must say - with the Crombie Coat and the briefcase and the rolled black umbrella, I appeared to be a magnet for those who wished to have a hand-out. Not the sort who sit in a blanket in a shop doorway - the sort that look otherwise as affluent as I do normally - but decide to pop across to ask if you have a spare pound or two.
I was approached in that manner as I went into the entrance of Swansea Station. And no, I didn't have any change to give. That can be another discussion one day, but I would always tend towards the "let me buy you a sandwich or a tea" rather than give money if I were to decide to take action.
Having gone to the Platform and seen that the half hour wait would now be extended for another 20 minutes as the train was running late - I decided to step out of the other entrance and cross to the Grand Hotel for a sneaky pint while I waited.
As I came out of the station - I was approached by a young man in his 30's I would estimate - though I am not good at ages these days. He approached as though he knew me of old - with a "Goodness - haven't seen for ages.. Come and chat what have you been doing.." and he looked familiar. But after years of running the Tavern and re-enactments and LARP he could have been anyone. "its Carl Morgan" he gushes as he chats to me and steers me towards the chairs outside the Grand Hotel. He is wearing relatively tidy clothes, jeans and a jacket and a bobble hat, fairly warm clothing but nothing too clean or too decrepid. As I try to place him in my mind I let him continue chatting so I could get a clue as to which of my many lives this Carl Morgan belonged to ...
And then he chokes, and says - "she's gone !! Kirsty has gone!! "
Looking for a clue I say - "How long - what happened?"
"Eighteen months ago he says - Leukemia - I've lost everything! I don't know what I am doing"
It is now- as I sit at the chair with him that I start to consider the fact that I am just being played ...
"remind me where I know you from" I suggest, I think sympathetically..
"Here - I used to sell the Big Issue... you would remember her - she was always with me ..."
For many this might have been a good line - but I am so rarely in Swansea, and to be honest I buy the Big Issue, but mainly in Carmarthen when I was still in the Police, and occasionally in Llanelli. Never in Swansea.
I think he gathers that he may have missed the mark - "Or Cardiff - probably Cardiff!"
"I've lost everything - is there any way you can help?"
So I tell him that I don't remember Kirsty - still sympathetically...
I also tell him that it is unlikely that I know him..
"But can you help?"
I tell him that I think I am being scammed - but I wish him well ...
He tries one last attempt and I get up and go into the Grand...
I get a pint and go to the window - to see if he may be following a routine - but there is no sign of him - perhaps he was wondering if I would report or something - he seemed to have made himself scarce.
I have a sudden thought and check my pockets - we had been in close proximity and I had case and umbrella in my hands - so my pockets might have been rifled. Luckily, and unusually, I was i the Crombie which was buttoned firmly up. My Chequebook is my wallet and that was in my inside pocket, and my phone holds my cards which was also under two layers of clothing.
Otherwise - who can tell?
The day went to the worse - I was Whamm'd in the Grand - maybe it is my penalty for not offering a pound to the first request - or maybe not. I think probably not - because had I not been whamm's in the Grand Hotel, I certainly would have been as I waited in Accident and Emergency with Vic on Sunday Morning - so I think I was destined to be one of the fallen..
Watch out for clever people on the streets
Cheers !
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