Impromptu Barbecue

I’m still at work at 5.40pm when S rings to enquire “Fancy a barbecue this evening?”.

“Sounds lovely” I reply, “do you want to use my garden?”.

“That would be great. P said I wasn’t allowed to ask you if we could. I said that our friendship allows such cheekiness.”

“Absolutely, it’s one of things I love most about it.”

I understand the way S hates the way her garden is overlooked. So hard when you live next door to the job and your parishioners assume your life and by extension your garden and visitors are their business too. Besides setting the garden up is the least I can do considering they’re doing the shopping and food prep. Besides if you can't invite yourself around to your best mate's house from time to time, something is wrong.

We pick at pitta bread and humus, grapes and melon slices, whilst we wait for the barbecue to heat up. The main attraction follows and comprises fillets of Marlin cooked in foil with some spices and olive oil and drizzled with lemon juice, served with salad and fresh bread – heaven.

Chunes on the iPod, bubbles from the bubble machine floating across the garden and fine conversation as we burn up a pile of wood and watch the sun set.

Nights like this won’t be so easy when they move to Wolverhampton, though S is adamant that part time work and train connections will make it happen. I do hope so, I’m going to spur of the moment meet ups like this more than it’s possible to say.

It’s rare to find friends that you are this comfortable with. No best behaviour, or tidying up, or being polite, or not saying the impertinent. Plus when I tell P&S about my fuck up from Saturday, they both opine that I did the right thing and that to agree to one thing publicly and then try and unpick it privately, would have been worse. I do point out that this isn’t exactly in accord with the views of others who were like actually there. Besides they’re probably biased. Another reason I love them and will miss them like crazy come November.

"Can we leave you with the washing up? I'm shattered."

"Of course you can - you just cooked me an amazing meal. Least I can do!"

Time to make the most of the summer months I think.