09/09/2014

Date:

Tue 09 Sep 2014

Time:

Approx 9.20pm

Place:

Montague Close, London.

Man, panama hat, blue jacket, white trousers.

'Excuse me.'

He takes out his earphones.

'This is for you.' Pause. 'It's a gift.'

'Okay. Can I give you something?' He offers me a pound coin.

'You don't have to.'

'Okay. Let's talk.'

We wander around and converse. He asks my name and tells me his, asks me to guess where he is from. He asks why I'm doing it. I say to pass something on. He says I need to convince him to take it. I say I shouldn't need to convince him as it is a gift. He says it's not enough. He found a £10 note today and has been looking to give it to someone who needs it, with my coin he would just have eleven pounds. I have to offer him something more. I say not to think of it as simply money, but the potential of it. Asks if I found it. I reply that I didn't, it's my own coin. He suggests that maybe I am passing something of myself through the coin. I reply that I had never thought of it like that, but it may be so. He says that he might take the coin at the end.

There is more general conversation – about ourselves, London and thoughts relating to the coin.

We are walking in a different direction to my route. He asks if he has diverted me. I say no, I have diverted him. Says he is glad. He tells me he will take the coin if I promise him something. That the next time we meet I will take the coin from him. He will keep it in his wallet separately – on the one side the found, the ten pound note, and on the other side the gift, the one pound coin. He takes the coin and puts it in his wallet. If we happen to meet again I should take it. I agree. It is about half an hour after I first offered the coin and we are now standing at the bus stop. As my bus arrives he gives me a kiss on the cheek. Nice to meet you. I get on the bus and leave.

The Gift