The tray didn't just hit the floor. It crashed and smashed his lunch to pieces. Serves you damn well right, I thought. You were staring again.

 

He stood stock-still and looked down at the food. Suddenly I got up and moved towards him. I hadn't intended to, hadn't wanted to help him. I called to the woman behind the counter. She closed her mouth and brought a cloth to clean up the mess. I picked up crockery, put it on the tray. There was a soppy stain on his trousers and through it you could see just how bony his knees were. Like the rest of him. All bones, dangling¹ jacket and hanging trousers. Stooped shoulders and mile-long arms. Then he smiled at me. A wonderful smile that creased² up his worn face and totally surprised me.

 

"Thank you."

 

I shoved the tray at him and went back to my table.

 

I worked at a large publishing company and ate lunch in the canteen. I had noticed him because he stared at me. He was weird-looking. His hair was badly cut and his clothes were ancient and dull; too-short corduroys, baggy³ at the knees and colour-less sweaters, dotted with fluff. Often he sat alone and just picked at his food. Or he read and jotted⁴ things down.

 

A few days after the crash, he stopped at the table I was sharing with Mark from proof reading, and asked if he might sit down. I said the seats were taken and continued eating. He apologised and took his tray off somewhere else.

 

"What's your problem, Leanna?" asked Mark.

 

"No problem. It's just that I like to choose who I share my mealtimes with."

 

"A bit rough on the old chap though."

 

I shrugged⁵.

 

It was Mark who told me more about him. He had gone over to scrounge a cigarette. By the time he came back to the table, I had my head stuck into the news-paper.

 

"Interesting chap. Sub-editor. Been all over the world," said Mark.

 

I decided⁶ to find the newspaper more interesting and finally Mark shut up and finished smoking.

 

"Asked your name," he said.

 

"He what?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"What'd you say?"

 

"Leanna, of course."

 

I folded the newspaper.

 

"I've loads of work this afternoon."

 

"Said you look familiar," said Mark. "Like someone he knew."

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