THE RUMANIAN COLLEAGUE

One day in a typical working day in London

Undecided what to grab for lunch in the Finance centre

-Former Rumanian colleague-

‘’dai pranziamo insieme’’!.

She was struggling in the Office with the Italian language,

Recovery and Debt Reconciliation

when Italian ended, English started.

Whatsapp calls to her lonely mother in Rumania.

Talks about Bucaresti student’s life.

Talks about Bucaresti’s low salaries

Talks about her Bucaresti’s wedding

Talks about Bucaresti father’s funeral

Talks about Bucaresti’s buildings

Talks about Bucaresti Chritsmas days.

Tight jeans, high heels, long dark straight hair, pink lipstick.

Expensive creams at London’s city centre.

Sitting in the Barbican gardens

small sandwich –

She opened her bag…and grabbed a cigarette.

Try…try Rumanian cigarette, Marlboro Country from Rumania.

While smoking…..kept talking ….

drawing circles of Love

drawing circles of disappointment…not able to get pregnant – 11 years of marriage.

In her eyes I could still read love for her Bucaresti husband.

She nervously extinguished the cigarette….took the lift up to the Office, 4^th floor.

I said: ‘’the next time we will decide where to draw circles- which corner.

4 years had gone''.