On Saturdays a cheese vendor’s stall had emerged, across the supermarket. Its boss is named Patrick. He has an implant in the skull which allows him to hear the customers’ wishes. He has an innate lightness of heart. Mr. Buddy became a customer. Once joined a dozen people waiting for their turn, apparently in a funeral groove. He felt resilience and shouted to his own surpise and impulsively challenging: GOOD MORNING! The effect was remarkable, people seemed to wake up and become more sensitive to their surroundings. Thereafter Buddy couldn’t go wrong with Patrick.
In March 2017, Buddy was at the stall again. He was helped by a new, low-pigment cheese girl with flu symptoms, tears in the eyes and a red, snotty nose, so much so that he asked if she didn’t rather belong in bed. He felt abashed instantly. You should not interfere with such things. Patrick intervened and said she always looked like this. Mr. Buddy bought his cheese and suppressed memorizing the incident. Thirza as she later turned out to be named did not.