Classified

I met him in February last year, in a caf? on Camden High Street. It
was one of those grey, unkind winter days - shoppers hunched past
outside the window, coat collars turned up to cheat the wind. Inside,
in the warm fug, I nibbled at my cappuccino froth with a spoon.

He was sitting at the next table; Oxfam coat, sleep-ruffled dark hair,
one pierced ear. He turned and caught my eye. ?Listen. Don?t you think
that?s amazing??

I put my spoon down. The radio was playing something scratchy but
sweet. It reminded me of childhood visits to my grandparents - the
coronation mugs on the mantelpiece and the slightest whiff of
lavender.

?That?s ?Goodnight My Love?. Ella Fitzgerald recorded it in 1936. I?ve
got it, the original record. It?s a 78.?

I must have looked blank.

?You know, the old records that you play on a wind-up gramophone? The
little dog listening to the brass horn??

I nodded.

?I?ve got the 78,? he said ?It?s a lovely thing, original sleeve, the
works. I found it in a charity shop. But I?ve never played it, couldn?t
afford a gramophone...? He laughed suddenly. ?Enough of me whinging!
What d?you say, do you want to come for a pint with me now??

?OK,? I said and followed him out of the caf? and into his life.

That Christmas, I bought him an old gramophone. It had a proper brass
horn and the little badge with the dog on it. It had cost me ?189 ? I?d
had to work long nights in the pub instead of studying. But it was
worth it to see that great big teddy grin on his face suddenly. ?Come
here,? he said, hugging me to him. ?I love you, you know. More than
anything, ever? And this gramophone?ll remind me of that whenever I
play it.?

The spring came, and April turned to May. I was sitting in the same
caf? , sipping my coffee. Outside, on Camden High Street, the punks
were optimistically exposing their pale blue flesh to the watery sun.
Someone had left a copy of Loot on my table. I picked it up, and turned
to the music section to look for 78s. Anything to distract me, to stop
me wondering why it was going wrong, to stop me asking myself again and
again ?Does he still love me??

This advertisement was published in http://www.loot.com on May 14th
2003:
His masters voice, wind up gramophone, with brass horn
Contact details: 020-8773 0619
Price: ?189