Locals

The other night I was heading to the Co-op food store for some coffee and Branston pickle, and was waiting to cross the street at the crosswalk. There was an older gentleman to my right and a younger guy to my left who were waiting too. The younger guy looked at the stopped traffic to one side and decided to chance it rather than wait for the walk light, and narrowly missed being run down by a car turning left. The older gentleman turned to me, opening his eyes wide, and shook his head as one is wont to when witnessing something stupid. He said in his Scots accent: “You don’t do that. The drivers here are nutters. You wait for the little green man and THEN you cross with both eyes wide open!” When I said I agreed with him, he pulled his head back and said “Canadian?” No one ever guesses that on the first try. So, I said yes with some delighted surprise. “Where from?” he asked. I said that I had last lived in Ottawa and before that Toronto for 10 years. “Ah, out east.” he said, as we crossed the street with the little green man. “But I grew up out west actually. In Alberta.” He really pulled his head back then and said he had been educated in Alberta. He was wearing a greenish kilt, high socks and loafers. “Where?” I asked. “Edmonton. In the early sixties.” “That’s where I’m from! How did you like it?” He said it was okay but his favorite city was Regina. “Yes,” he said, “you know you can get a Friday night bus from Edmonton to a casino in Regina. Free! And they give you $100! You don’t even have to go to the casino, you just get a free ride to Regina!” He was chuckling, and by the time we got to the store I had completely forgotten what I went there to get. 

Picture: Great Western road looking East - the Co-op is on the left

Note:  due to technical errors "Edinburgh Reunion" will be posted next time...