| 1 |
My parents met during the Second World War: In August, forty-three, to be precise. My father was home on leave from the front, and he had decided to spend the first week with an aunt in Liverpool. He hadn't seen her for several years, even though she had brought him up after his mother's death. |
| 2 |
Liverpool is not the most beautiful city in the world, but it can be very pleasant in summertime, especially early in the morning. On this particular morning, however, my father was in no mood to enjoy the sunrise over the River Mersey. |
| 3 |
His train had left London on time, but by the time it got to Crewe, it was already three and a half hours behind schedule. So he was in a bad mood and very tired on arrival at the station in Liverpool. But something happened within minutes of his arrival that changed not only his mood, but also his whole life. |
| 4 |
Feeling thirsty after his long journey, he decided to go and have a cup of tea in the station cafe. Typically, it was shut at that early hour. A notice on the door read "Opening hours: from 7 am to 6 pm". He looked at the station clock: ten past seven. |
| 5 |
The cafe should be open by now, he thought. But, knowing station cafes, he realized that he might have to wait until eight or even nine o'clock before it opened. Suddenly he noticed a pretty girl sitting on a bench. She was pouring tea from a thermos flask into a cup. |
| 6 |
He sat down and said: "I've never seen such a pretty girl as you in all my life! And I haven't had a drink since last night. If you give me a drink of your tea, I'll marry you and look after you for the rest of your life". Believe it or not, she smiled at him, gave him the tea, and... well, I wouldn't be here now if the cafe hadn't been shut on that fateful day in August, forty-three. |
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