#off the cuff

"You're not thinking of jumping, are you?" the stranger asks, yanking you out of your reverie as you suddenly become very aware of your vulnerable position; a girl on a bridge in the quiet part of town...at midnight.

He's just some businessman in a suit and trench, cutting a sharp profile as he leans on the railing and looks out over the water, trying to see what you might be looking at, most likely failing, because no matter how shiny that diamond ring is, no human eye could possibly see it laying among the round stones of the stream below, and certainly not in the dark.

"Just came to get some air and think," you say, stepping back from the rail and turning to go, "and it's only knee deep down there, but thanks for the concern, anyway."

"He probably wasn't worth it anyway," the stranger says--stopping you in your tracks, his voice so low you shouldn't be able to hear it--and when you swivel back to confirm that he's not breathing down your neck, you find him leaning casually against the bridge railing, a dripping hand holding the very ring you'd just thrown away, his face dressed in warm eyes and a cocky smirk.

There's something about him that screams for you to run, but there's also something alluring that dares you to stay, and since you're making foolish choices tonight, you step closer, noticing how loud your heart sounds in your ears, almost drowning out the question you're finding that you're already guessing the answer to, "How did you find that and get it so fast?"

The disarmingly handsome stranger takes your hand, placing the ring in your palm and gently curling your fingers around it, and your heart races faster--not because his hands are cold or barely hiding the fact that they could break you before you can blink--when he draws you in to whisper, "They say a diamond is forever....but would you like to learn what forever really means?"

reading dunmeshi and im struck by this title page. the theme of it to me is "something little you care for" because every set is a character with someone smaller/younger than them they try and take care of. laios seemed the odd one out to me for a moment, and given the theme of the others, id have expected him with one of his dogs. then i realized, thats kensuke.

🎶 SE11 DUB-STEP JAM - Various Artistes

Song: "It's A Man's World"

When IJ Chris was over a close musician friend, Mark Matthew, suggested we meet up and take Chris to meet Freddie Notes. Freddie still lived next to my senior school. He was employed by the school as the Music Assistant in my 5th year and I also saw him and his band (at the local Surrey Tavern venue) when they were backing Desmond Dekker on his 1st tour in England. Even after all the years in-between he still remembered.

Anyway, Freddie and the band were rehearsing and they encouraged Chris to join in. He sang along and then started to lyric his own parts towards the end. The guitarist got into a zone as well towards the end.

With no 'smart phones' in those days, I had taken my camera/video recorder to get some good quality still shots. With Chris' off-the-cuff invite to sing, I put the camera on. I kept waving to the two 'hangers on' to come out of the way - they got it in the end!