Paypine looks at me in a suspicious, narrow-eyed way for a very long time. I start to wonder if the egg in her sandwich is seeping into the bread, making it soggy and unappetizing.
"Well I'm sure there was nothing you could do," she says at last in an abrupt manner and takes a harsh bite of the sandwich.
I gape at the sudden turn this has taken. "I- I guess not."
"It wasn't a love connection," she says while chewing.
"Oh, of course not-"
"Not anything special or romantic, by the sounds."
I frown. "Well, there were som-"
"Entirely unworthy of mentioning, I daresay."
"Hey, it was a-"
"Totally void of worth. Can't imagine why I had to hear it."
"Oi! I'm sharing my experience-"
"Probably best you didn't, I'm a delicate thing."
"Delicate?"
"I'm old. Old things are delicate."
"Not all ol-"
"Avalon!" Paypine exclaims in a high rasp. "How startling to see you out here when there's church group going on."
I turn to see a tall, thin elderly lady with bright red hair and a black and white overcoat walking up to us, tripping a little as she walks, as if she's tipsy. Or having trouble with her high black sandals.
"Paypine! How gorgeous to see you! No, I don't see those old biddies anymore," Avalon says in a high and hurried voice. She stops in front of the bench and I notice a round wine glass in her hand half filled with some sort of pink liquid.
"Left, have you?" Paypine asks with scorn.
"Oh, Paypay, keep up, that was ages ago. Months and months. You'd know if you called, or came round, or even sent a letter, I do appreciate a good old pen to paper transaction." She turns her green eyes to me and asks in a hushed flourish, "My, who's this lovely young chicken?"
Paypine makes a 'humph' noise and puts on a great show of carefully arranging her sandwich next to her on the bench, leading to me announcing, "Cerri," at the same time Paypine grunts: "This is my bench friend Cara. She's telling me all about her little friendship with another girl."
"Oh! How quaint," Avalon exclaims jovially, swinging her glass to the side as she steps one thin leg across the other.
"It's Cerri, actually," I correct. Paypine looks up and runs her eyes over every inch of Avalon.
"Yes, I spoke to one of my good friends the other day. Paypine knows her, she goes by the name Caroline, but everyone friendly with her calls her Cara, because of that famous poet, what was her name? Cara something or rather, started with a P, long, Italian sounding..."
I watch Avalon's glass sway about. Some of the liquid sways merrily onto her pants.
Paypine clicks her tongue at the spillage. "Ava, you're spilling it all over yourself. Why must you drink at noon?"
"Oh! This is vitamins!" Avalon waves the glass with apparent ease and blissful ignorance.
"Will you be long? I'm eating lunch and my egg sandwich is going cold."
"Paypay..." Avalon laughs, "Always so squinty. Now, Cara, tell me about this lady friend. Had a tragic falling out over some boy, was it? Why I remember-"
"Let her answer, goodness heavens people should actually answer your ridiculous questions," Paypine interrupts angrily.
"Yes, yes!" Avalon says brightly to me, "Do go on!"
"It's a love story," Paypine cuts in as my mouth opens.
"Actually-" I start.
"Ooooh! Love. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, sweetheart. It makes you a fool- although I did get a Trolgar house and the rose bushes I always wanted from my first..." Avalon frowns at the grass as if in deep thought.
"First?" I ask, mainly to keep myself in the conversation and not because I need her to tell me she means first husband.
"Or was is Lester?"
Paypine picks up her knitting. "Husband dear. You'll catch on to these things when you get older and start having relationships."
"No, I thought Lester owned the boat house... out in Surryville. That cramped two bedder. Well!" she suddenly perks up with bright eyes, "I got what I was after in the end, not all men can give you what you want so you have to choose wisely, dear. It can sometimes take a few to get the right house- I mean car! I mean person!" She laughs and takes a gulp of her pink vitamins. "But do stay in touch, won't you, sweety? I'd love to hear how you get on with this boy of yours, here hold this."
I take the glass while Avalon whips out a pen and some paper and scribbles something.
"Oh, here we go," mumbles Paypine into her knitting, "here we go with 'the number' carry on."
"Actually, it's a girl," I say into the long-awaited silence. "I was seeing-"
"Here, love, here's my number," Avalon whisks the glass out of my hand and replaces it with the little slip of paper. I catch a string of numbers.
"I also put my fourth at the bottom, you know, in case you need an edgy hairstylist- he's the best." she leans in closer, "between you and me, I feared he was a bit that way inclined, he was just so good with my hair, but he runs it now, it's so chic. So sleek. Well! Must dash. Don't be a stranger Paypine, everyone loves your witchy comments, always such a laugh! Bye girls!"
I watch Avalon trip away through the park. Then I turn to Paypine.
"She seems nice."
"Oh, her?" Paypine replies airily. "I wouldn't have a clue who she is. Shall we get our coffees now?"
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