"Where are you going? We've guests for dinner."Were my mum Angel's words?
"Oh! I'm picking up a friend at the station and shall bring him home to dinner." I said hastily.
"Who?" Asked Hala.
"Mmmm... Haven't met him before personally but he sounds cool." I said.
"What... You are bringing a stranger home to dinner?" Mamma asked.
Don't know what was new in that? I'm only a chip off the old block, we (as in my family) love new, interesting people.
"No worries, I'll explain later," I said as I shut the door behind me.
I waited in the car at the entrance of the station, only to notice Rashid's face appear from the side mirror approaching my car. I had texted him the colour and model earlier.
He got in and said: "Hello Haldita. Nice to meet you."
"Hi, Rashid. Funny meeting like this!" I said with a smile. "Shall we go to a bar nearby for a drink first?"
My new friend agreed and we drove and chatted a little before parking almost right outside the bar.
"Is it this easy to find parking in London?" Rashid seemed surprised. Rightly too.
"Actually, I've a 'Parking Angel. He or she comes to my rescue every time. You should try calling for yours when needed." I meant every word I said.
"Oh! A dear school friend lives close by, let me see if she'll join us." I said as I called Guilda.
After a short call, Guilda agreed to join us. Must say it was all so spontaneous, the best way.
We settled on the stools at the bar and ordered a bottle of Rioja by mutual agreement. Before long, Guilda's goldilocks hair and her pair of Bambi-like, blue eyes met mine through the standing crowd.
I almost jumped off the stool to greet her.
"This is Rashid, my new friend," I made the necessary introductions as we sat facing the new barman.
"New friend? Hmmm... So, how do you two know each other?" Curiosity got the better of Guilda as she asked turning her head from me to Rashid.
"We actually just met, I picked him up outside the station," I said beginning to laugh. "We met through Facebook. Come to think of it... How DID we meet?" Turning towards Rashid.
"I know very well how we met, let me explain." Rashid seemed bemused and ready to play the twenty questions game. "Haldita joined my site."
"And what do you do Rashid?" Guilda had to find out.
"I'm a painter." Rashid contributed.
"A painter?" Guilda asked.
"Yes, I take a brush and paint rooms!" Rashid was getting warm with his answers.
I had to intervene: "No. No. He is a painter as in an artist."
"Let me continue..." Rashid went on: "Haldita joined my site and sent me a note saying she enjoyed my paintings, then asked if I had an exhibition in London. I don't but came here to visit family and we thought it a good idea to meet."
"Ah! So you are each other's date tonight." Guilda put two and two together and made fifty!! Haha
"No date. We are friends darling." I had to make the adjustment.
"Actually we are not even friends on Facebook!" Rashid commented.
"We're not?!?" I said surprised. "You wanna say I picked you up, brought you here, introduced my friend AND took you to dinner and we are not even friends?"
We all laughed.
"Go on... Take him back and drop him off at the station where you picked him up immediately! How could you say you're not friends after all Haldita did for you?" Guilda was on the roll.
We parted with Guilda after an hour of testing one another's sense of humour and finding yet another new name to add as friends on the infamous Facebook page.
Finally arrived home around 8 pm for dinner.
Angel who seemed anxious said: "Where were you? I was getting worried. You said you are picking up your new friend to come home then disappeared."
"Sorry mum, you know I'm mad, here's Rashid, our new friend," I said as he shook hands with my family and the two guests; Brad, mum's good, old friend and Massimo; whom Hala and I met some years ago at Fabric by accident on his one and only visit there, he has become a friend of the family since. Massimo is always a pleasure to have around; not only is he very fit, his sense of humour is next to none.
After going through the explanation of our cyber connection, extended it to the virtual meeting. There were other questions arising during the delicious sit-down dinner Angel had prepared.
"So... What kind of painting do you do?" Massimo asked Rashid.
"All kinds. But I've destroyed most of my work!" Rashid's answer brought an expression of surprise to Massimo's face.
"Has anyone seen them?" Massimo had to ask.
"I'm an artist and that's how I react. An artist is never happy enough with his work." Rashid had a point.
Massimo turned to me and asked: "How's the blog?"
"Last time I checked, there was an incredible 800 hits marked worldwide on the stats!" I exclaimed with excitement.
"What?" Rashid seemed almost shocked. "You mean 8 hits? I barely read one post, thinking it rude to intrude on your privacy! As you called it."
"No, 8 followers and over 800 hits globally in two months!" I said with bright, wide eyes.
"But when you sent me the link," Rashid went on, "You wrote this is quite private!"
"Ha ha... Well, let's just say I've a few friends around the world!" I was never good at keeping secrets of my own.
With an eclectic group who enjoy good times and good company, the evening could only turn into laughter and a memorable event. And... I now have an addition to my 'Facebook' friends!
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