Journey to Britain

And then, after three years more, I took my degree at the end of April. At the end of May, while celebrating my best friends' degree, I met a man who had been invited as an external supervisor. Since he was interested in the subject I had written my thesis on, we had a lot to talk about. We talked and talked as if we had been knowing each other forever. His name was Mick and he was huge and had friendly blue eyes.

He lived in a different town with his wife and children. I contacted him a week later, since he had told me it was his birthday. He was very surprised that I had remembered it. Over the next few weeks, we spent quite a lot of time chatting on the Internet and talking on the phone, which I had never done before. I had always considered it a waste of time to use the computer for other purposes than work or research, and I wasn't the type to talk on the phone for more than five minutes. Yet, we talked and talked. I was very taken with this most interesting man. I learned that he was going to Britain in the summer, since he was attending a conference about a very interesting subject, and I told him how much I would like to go there too. In the end, he decided I should come too, so we could save money renting a house together with some of his friends. I was already waiting with my suitcase ready when John called me on the phone. "Are you up to it?" he asked. "Sorry, but there isn't time, they're going to pick me up any minute now!" "Give me two minutes", re replied. And sure enough he came to send me off with a very special farewell. He came inside me and then I had a very quick wash and he left. Maybe two minutes later the doorbell rang and I welcomed Mick and his friend with what must have been looked like a retarded smile, still dizzy... and off we went.