There are More Things...

I was at my wit's end. A forgotten, important, BIG birthday and only twelve hours before the party. What do you buy for someone that you have known for ever and who has everything they could possibly need? For my BIG birthday Greg had given me the most exquisite necklace, how on earth could I match that! So there I was in one of those enormous shopping malls trying to find something unique and suitable.
In a shopping mall?
I very nearly decided on an expensive gift voucher but that certainly would not do for a BIG birthday or as something to compare with that necklace.
Having visited every possible shop I decided that a 'mini break' would refresh the grey cells and I could start again. My usual coffee stops were all teaming, I should have realised that half term meant that 'yummy mummies' and their offspring would be monopolizing every square inch of the place. With feet buzzing and ears ringing with the awful cacophony that is described as music in these places I found a small haven of solitude. A bijoux café which must have only just opened, well I'd never seen it before and I have an internal map of the place and know every corner, especially where to buy decent coffee.
I ordered a 'skinny' latte and an almond croissant, I needed the sugar in order to re pursue my quest. The place was quite empty so I chose one of those deep, padded sofas, usually fully occupied in other like establishments, and settled down with the daily newspaper. The coffee was delicious, the croissant so full of calories that a slight feeling of guilt passed over me but was soon gone, and the celebrity page of the newspaper didn't tax my brain too much. For some moments I felt quite content, having put my 'task' to the back of my mind. I even think I might have dozed off.
I looked down to see that the front of my coat was covered in croissant crumbs and I began to frantically brush them off.
'You've missed a bit!''
It was quite a rough, although a pleasant voice, with an unmistakeable Midlands twang to it. I really must have nodded off because the voice was coming from the person sitting next to me on the sofa, and I'd not even noticed him sit down. But why was he sitting there when the place was still completely empty? I looked round frantically for some help, he was a pervert, a robber, a terrorist, a, (and this was the thought that really frightened me) a lunatic escaped from Bedlam. I know Bedlam no longer exists but you know what I mean. The girl behind the bar was busy with her Blackberry and there was not another soul about.
'You've still got crumbs everywhere. Here!' He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out the grubbiest handkerchief I had ever seen. I shrank into the corner trying to get as far away as possible. I even attempted to get up but you know what those sofas are like, their mission seems to be to swallow us humans whole.
'Please yourself,' and the handkerchief disappeared.
I took a sneaky peak at its owner who was busily picking his teeth and scratching his head and seemed to have forgotten me for the moment. Not my idea of the perfect coffee companion, long greasy hair, a tatty mac and trainers, but quite a nice face I suppose.
'You'll not find that present for Greg sitting here on your backside you know.'
I stared even harder and he winked and smiled, not unattractively. I couldn't find anything sensible to say. But I was quite surprised to see a large white feather drift lazily from the ceiling and land on my knee. He picked it up and tucked it into his pocket.
Then, now this is the really bizarre thing, he stood up and stretched and winked again, this time in a very cheeky fashion and I saw that he had a pair of pure white wings growing out of his back. The café had by this time filled up but nobody seemed to notice, not notice those enormous white wings! I was stunned. I know that my mouth fell open and I sank even deeper into the sofa.
'Do close your mouth Sophie, you just avoided swallowing a fly.'
'But you're a...'
'Yes I know what I am, and to think you never believed in us. Shakespeare was right you know, 'There are more things in heaven and earth etc., etc.' We do like occasionally to show ourselves to selected people. Oh, and that present for Greg, I know he's just broken his watch and they have some real bargains in the jewellers over there.'
He stood up and gently ruffled his feathers and soared up into the roof space and joined a pigeon who was sitting on one of the beams. He waved and then was gone.
Needless to say I bought the watch and Greg was delighted.
Strange thing, next time I went to the shopping mall the café had closed.
A sign of the times I suppose.