Costa Conversations

 Costa Conversations

It started in the baking hot streets of Zaragoza, Spain nearly 20 years ago. Who would have thought that Dann would still be teaching English! It all got more serious in 2010 when he returned to study at Harrow college and was awarded the Cambridge CELTA. Now it is official he can teach English for a living.

Who was that young girl in one of his first lessons who fell off her chair and hurt her head? It nearly ended then before it even got started. So many Spanish names all of them forgotten now. What about the gorgeous housewife in her black leather pants? Dann and his two flatmates fancied her and she cheered up Monday afternoons for sure. There was Pilar, and the Inter-Cambio girls.  Fat Susie was always on their minds too. The most memorable girl Dann met was Dove! What a name! How could you ever forget it? Paloma that was her name, or was it? Still today we can't be sure.

Today Dann was in Costa with the 3 writers, Taibgh, Jali and Yohan. “You should be a writer too,” one of them said.” You just need to start writing a short story and go from there.”I don't know, maybe,” Dann replied,” my brother is a writer now. He has written a book of poems but he hasn't sold many books so far”.

Jalel went on to tell Dann about his recent book and, without being asked, he went and got a copy for him from his car. He signed the inside cover and proudly handed it over. Now Dann owns two signed books, one from his brother Stan and one book from Jalel from Libya.

So where does the deer fit into this story?

A deer not to be messed with.

Dann read the blurb of his new book and left it down in his car and thought no more about the 3 writers he met in Costa coffee shop. Later that same afternoon he was out cycling in Richmond Park admiring the wide open spaces and the gorgeous Autumn colours when he came across a fully grown stag looking for action. Dann knew that it was mating season for deer and he had read about stags attacking people who tried to get too close, to take a selfie. Maybe I can ride close by, take a photo quickly and pedal like crazy before the beast knows what's happening, Dann thought. "How fast can they even run? " He said to himself. What a way to die speared in the chest by a randy stag chasing a man on a mountain bike. Forget it, no photograph is worth that kind of risk, he decided.  The stag was not available for comment. He just carried on eating grass contentedly.As he was cycling around Richmond park he thought more about what makes a good photo and how far would someone go to take one. What about the photo of the Chinese student in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square,The Twin Towers on 9/11 or the image of the first man on on the Moon?

“I want to be a writer too,” David exclaimed,” It sounds like fun and it can't be that difficult ,surely.” “Aye why not.”Terry replied, in his unmistakable Glasgow patter.” You'd make a great writer but it`s a lot of work.” “I have a short story in mind about a bored English teacher who decides to move to Saudi Arabia to work as a private tutor.”Terry looked up from his mobile and smiled, “aye you may as well what ya got to lose?” They continued to chat and while away the afternoon in their usual coffee shop in Ealing. Outside the street lights were coming on. Just gone five and already it was dark. It was going to be another long Winter teaching in that school, David thought. Maybe this time I will just take off and see what life is like somewhere else.  Anywhere else.

So here I am working in London still. Two years have passed since I decided to try living abroad again. The time in Ireland was interesting to say the least. 

Running into Kelly again after all this time was a bit of a nightmare however. Will he ever stop looking for that five grand I owe him?

Des Kelly and me went to college together back in the 80`s. We got chatting after the first art class and before long we were putting the world to rights over a few pints in The Kings Head in Acton.

Back then I could drink all night and still go to work the following day. Not these days that's for sure.

Kelly made it very clear to me I had to pay up or he would take it to the next level. I got him his money in the end but things were never the same between us after that.

“Hi Dave, what you up to? I'm in London for a few days” Des Kelly asked.

Hi Dessie what's new? Didn't think I'd hear from you so soon after Dublin,” I replied, trying to keep the panic out of my voice as I thought about why he was phoning me out of the blue.

“I need your help Dave. I'm in a bit of trouble again” Kelly said.

“Can we meet up and have a proper chat? How about The George in Covent Garden?” Dessie begged.

“OK”, I agreed, “see you in there tomorrow at 7 by the way i`m off the booze again!” I replied.

There was no getting out of meeting him now. I would just have to face the music and see what shit he wants to drag me into this time. Hopefully it won't be anything too dodgy like last time.

When I got to the pub he was already sitting at the bar chatting to a lovely Indian looking bird who couldn't have been more than twenty five.

“Hi,” Kelly said,” meet my wife to be.”

“No way you are joking, she is far too beautiful to be interested in you.” I replied. It was true she was really nice. I knew right away from the way they both glanced at each other there was more to this than meets the eye.

Several hours later we made our way back from Covent Garden to my flat in Hammersmith. I agreed to let them stay with me for a few nights. It was hard seeing Kelly in such a bad way, even begging for my help! I always suspected he was too fond of the booze but now he has got himself dragged into a massive situation with his new wife Zara.

Two years have passed since I decided to try living abroad again. The time in Ireland was interesting to say the least. Running into Kelly again after all this time was a bit of a nightmare however. Will he ever stop looking for that five grand I owe him? Des Kelly and me went to college together back in the 80s. We got chatting after the first art class and before long we were putting the world to rights over a few pints in The Kings Head in Acton. Back then I could drink all night and still go to work the following day. Not these days that's for sure. Kelly made it very clear to me I had to pay up or he would take it to the next level. I got him his money in the end but things were never the same between us after that. “Hi Dave, what you up to? I'm in London for a few days” Des Kelly asked. Hi Dessie what's new? Didn't think I'd hear from you so soon after Dublin,” I replied, trying to keep the panic out of my voice as I thought about why he was phoning me out of the blue. “I need your help Dave. I'm in a bit of trouble again” Kelly said. “Can we meet up and have a proper chat? How about The George in Covent Garden?” Dessie begged. “OK”, I agreed, “see you in there tomorrow at 7 by the way im off the booze again!” I replied. There was no getting out of meeting him now. I would just have to face the music and see what shit he wants to drag me into this time. Hopefully it won't be anything too dodgy like last time. When I got to the pub he was already sitting at the bar chatting to a lovely Indian looking bird who couldn't have been more than twenty five. “Hi,” Kelly said,” meet my wife to be.” “No way you are joking, she is far too beautiful to be interested in you.” I replied. It was true she was really nice. I knew right away from the way they both glanced at each other there was more to this than meets the eye.

Several hours later we made our way back from Covent Garden to my flat in Hammersmith. I agreed to let them stay with me for a few nights. It was hard seeing Kelly in such a bad way, even begging for my help! I always suspected he was too fond of the booze but now he has got himself dragged into a massive situation with his new wife Zara.

The next morning, as sunlight streamed through the curtains of his Hammersmith flat, Dann woke to the smell of coffee brewing. Zara was humming softly in the kitchen, while Kelly sat slumped on the sofa, staring out the window. His face was lined with exhaustion, but there was something else—hope, perhaps?

“Thanks for letting us stay,” Kelly muttered, his voice heavy with gratitude and regret. “I don’t deserve your help, but I’m trying to get my life back together.”

Dann sighed and sat beside him. “You’ve always been a mess, Kelly. But maybe this is your chance to fix it. You’ve got Zara now, and you’ve still got me—for now.” He smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

Kelly smiled weakly. “I’m serious this time, Dann. No more running. No more booze.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the years between them hanging in the air. Zara walked in, handing them both coffee. “Maybe it’s time to stop looking back,” she said gently, “and start moving forward.”

As they left for the day, the cold London wind biting at their faces, Dann felt a strange sense of peace. Maybe helping Kelly wasn’t the disaster he feared. Maybe, just maybe, it was a beginning.

For Kelly, for Zara—and maybe even for Dann.

And for the first time in a long while, Dann thought: It’s time to write my own story.

DMG