April 19th, 2002. - 12:16 a.m.

A childhood memory, and a chance meeting.

While sitting on gravelly rooftops by oneself to watch the sun set, a childhood memory is triggered by the yellow semi-rusted pipes cutting across the surface.

A memory not revisited for some time now, of a cement rooftop, used by the tenants of the apartment to dry laundry on green plastic covered bamboo. Clear blue sky. The sun beaming with all its might. Grey painted pipes, rust eroding the grainy surface. A game played by balancing delicately on the pipes. Scolded. Another game invented to walk between the pipes. Falls down and scrapes knee.

No longer allowed to be close to pipes. Invited away to eat chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream in a papery cone. Melting in the summer sun. Drips out of the tip, vanilla and chocolate mixing to form a sticky light brown cream, running down the fingers.

In a park. Sticky fingers attracting dirt. Everything cement. Gayly painted metal animals attached to immobile springs. Wanted to ride the blue seahorse.

Met a cockney gentleman today. Have not seen him for at least six months now. Picked through the neurons. Most entertaining conversation.

N.

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