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"You left it in the lift," he said. "May I sit down?" His voice was soft. Cultivated. What could I say? The tables were all pretty full so I nodded. He began to eat. I'd always thought he picked at his food. But as I watched, I noticed that he selected small pieces, speared them and moved them carefully to his mouth. "Have you been there?" "Been where?" I was totally dazed. From dropping my book and banging my head and everything. "Australia, New Zealand." I stared at him and thought again of what Mark had said about me reminding him of someone. An Australian? Maybe an ex-girlfriend or wife? "Not such a strange question," he said. "You're old enough to have travelled there. And Katherine Mansfield, Janet Frame, are most likely in the book." His smile crinkled up his eyes. "No, I haven't and yes, they are," I said. That's how it started. He asked me a question, nodded when I spoke and then asked another. I was off, talking about reading, books and all that stuff I love. Days later Malcolm passed our table with his tray and spontaneously I said a seat was free. Mark stared at me and I felt a rush of heat to my cheeks. After that, Malcolm often sat with us and he and I discussed a lot of things. We spoke a little about ourselves too. I told him how Mom had brought me up on her own at the start of the Hippie Era. He said he had married during that time but divorced a few | 
