Once, Many Years Ago... (Submitted by Umberto)
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Once, many years ago, during my exciting first year in London, I went on a date with a guy I had found online. We met just outside Holborn station, he had told me “you’ll recognise me, I will be the one with the guitar case looking tired”. I was young and full of dreams, and as soon as I saw his eyes, which changed from deep blue to grey according to the colour of the sky, I decided he would become my boyfriend. We had a great time that afternoon and I walked him back towards Tottenham Court Road tube station where we said goodbye and he disappeared down the stairs. But the few beers I had had made me decide to go after that handsome boy from Oxfordshire, so I run down the stairs, went through to the platform and looked around for signs of him. But he seemed to be gone. I was disappointed and made my way towards the stairs again, would I see him again? Just then I saw him, he must have been at the ticket machine while I rushed after him and he was now waiting for the next train. I can’t exactly remember what I told him at first, but I do remember trying to kiss him, making a fool of myself. And then, as the next eastbound central line train was about to approach, I looked at him and said “it’s like in Casablanca, please don’t get on that train!”. We had talked about old noir movies that afternoon and we had agreed that Humphrey Bogart was our hero, but the truth is I had not seen Casablanca and I only vaguely knew about the final “maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow” scene. And as it turns out, Bogart actually invites the girl to get on that airplane. He didn’t say anything back, just looked extremely confused. The train came into the station and he jumped in. I suddenly realised people were looking at me and dashed out. But hey, we ended up together for five beautiful years.
