Friday 26th August 2023

It was about 23.00. I was already in my dressing gown and sleep socks with Misa in his bedroom talking about his day. Emi, despite going to bed about 22.00, was unusually unable to sleep for some reason, so she came to be with us. Suddenly we hear from downstairs Steve calling in a loud whisper: “Rennie, I need you now? Are you decent? Come down now!”

Going downstairs and wondering what on earth was going on, I saw 4 pairs of feet at the front door; 3 men and a woman. Continuing down the stairs, I then saw who it was!  It was our dear friends Mala and Kumar from Colombo, and two of their friends who run a first class Sri Lankan restaurant in London.

I was speechless, in shock and lost for words. Emi shrieked with excitement and ran down to hug them. Misa put some pyjamas on and came down too.  What a surprise – apart from for Steve, that is, as he had been in cahoots with Mala arranging it!

We hugged and hugged more. We sat down in the kitchen, eating cheese and biscuits, some fruits, drinking red wine and then Steve opened his special 17 year old port wine kept for a special occasion – delicious.  We talked even more and showed them around, even in the dark, they loved our house and the way it is designed.   Mala then asked to see Steve’s mistresses – his three motorcycles – so we did that too!

They left us at 1pm and I couldn’t sleep as I was still in shock.  The boys went to have breakfast with them in Stratford at our favourite Boston Tea Party coffee shop, while we girls did another parkrun before joining them for a photo by the Jester, before sending them off on their travels to Cornwall.

We must have more time with them one day in the future, to host them and to show them our pretty English villages and towns.  I never, in a million years, thought I will be seeing my best friend from Sri Lanka again in the middle of the night wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown.

Life is full of suprises.  Sometimes lovely ones!

Rennie