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My brother was a real biker. That means driving a heavy motorcycle, wearing leather clothes, long hair, looking all greasy, listining to heavy metal music, smoking and drinking a lot. Not the type you like to meet on a dark night. I also had a motorbike, but I wasn't greasy and my bike wasn't that impressive. His friends were also bikers, same type, some with girlfriends others without. At the weekends they always met a my parents house. It was the only place they were welcome. Most weekends our driveway and garage would be occupied by five or six heavy bikes, being cleaned and mended.
One Saturday evening they got hungry. They knew that I liked Barbara and they also knew that Barbara worked at a fish and chip shop. The choice was easily made. So off they went, I joined them of course, I wanted to see Barbara. Imagine how it feels when you working in a chip shop in a village where nothing ever happens and then unexpectedly 6 heavy motorcycles appear with these greasy drivers and girls all dressed up in leathers. Well that's what the family of Barbara must have felt. They must have been very worried, like the customers who were there aswell. Barbara knew my brother and his friends from the CCAT. Therefore she was al jolly, friendly and chatted a lot with us. That must have worried her family even more. Barbara obviously didn't tell her family that there was one boy among that group she particularly liked.

When the others got what they had ordered they went outside to their bikes to eat. I stayed inside, observing Barbara. Another customer came and sat next to me. He told me how he fancied Barbara and what he liked about her. We had great fun talking about Barbara (I didn't tell him that I also fancied Barbara). While I was sitting there Barbara gave me a whole scale of looks, from affectionate to confused to annoyed and to 'it's time to leave'.

The next time I saw Barbara she told me that it would be better if we didn't came round anymore. The bikers would scare the customers away and people just sitting and chatting was not good for the sales. But the real reason was that she suspected that her family wouldn't accept it that she was going around with those types of people at school.

 fish and chip shop

The fish and chips shop of Barbara's family at 6 station road in Histon. Barbara, her mother and uncle lived above the shop. The window on the right was of the living room, the left window, above the carport was of the kitchen.
(thanks to Carina for the picture)

 

第一次去希斯顿

我的兄弟是个真正的摩托车手。这意味着他总是骑着厚重的摩托车,穿着皮衣,长长的头发,看起来很浪荡。并且他喜欢抽烟,喝酒,和重金属音乐。因此,他并不是你凌晨在街上愿意碰见的那类人。我同样也有辆摩托车,但我看起来并不是我兄弟那种类型。我兄弟的朋友同样也是摩托车手,和他一样的类型,有些有女朋友,有些没有。周末,他们总是喜欢去我父母家中相聚。那是唯一欢迎他们的地方。周末大多数时候,我们家车库总是被5,6辆正在被清洗,维修的摩托车占着。

一个星期六晚上,我的兄弟和他的朋友们感到很饿。他们都知道我喜欢翁美玲,而翁美玲又是在鱼肉薯片餐厅工作。他们很快做出了决定-前往翁美玲那里。我当然也加入了他们,因为我很想见翁美玲。想象一下,当你在清净的鱼肉薯片餐馆工作时,突然见到6个意想不到的骑着重型摩托车穿着皮衣的男男女女走进店中是何种感觉。至少翁美玲家人看到之后感觉很不好。他们一定很为翁美玲担忧。由于翁美玲在剑桥艺术科学学院已经认识了我这些朋友。因此,她十分高兴,亲切的和我们交谈。她这个举动反而使她的家人为她更担忧。当然,翁美玲没有告诉她家人,在这群男孩中,有一个她喜欢的。

当我的朋友们拿到了他们点的菜,他们把菜拿到外面停摩托车的地方吃去了。我却仍然留在店里面,看着翁美玲。另外一个顾客进来坐到了我的身旁,他告诉我他特别喜欢翁美玲。我们两人很快乐的谈论关于翁美玲的事情(但我没有告诉他我也很喜欢翁美玲)。当我坐在那里,翁美玲给了我一连串的表情暗示,从开心到疑惑,再到厌烦。到最后,她的面目表情告诉我,"是你该离开的时候了"。

第二天我碰见翁美玲,她告诉我,我最好不要再去她的店里。我的那些摩托车手朋友们把顾客和生意都吓跑了。但事实是,她猜想到她的家里人不同意自己和这类型朋友交往。

 

(translated by Zhi)

 

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Sarah Huang
5 years ago
Hi Rob, Just let you know the feeling I got from the second time reading of " First time to Histon". It reminds me "Fast and Furious" episode one, when Brian went to the Cafe that Mia worked for sandwich lunch. He went there so many times and for not-so-tasty tuna sandwich but actually he fancied Mia and wanted to see her. Just like what happened in Barbara's fish and chips shop. Such a sweet picture in which you were observing Barbara while she was working. Barbara would be stronger if she stayed close to her mother. Looking back, it was a bad choice for Barbara to go back to HongKong.
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Josephine
6 years ago
I can sense that, even after you two broke up, you still care about Brabara. I can tell from the fact that you remember every details so clearly, 40 years from then. What a pity you two broke up finally.
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Nina
8 years ago
:-) From your pictures with Babara and your writing , I can feel you are a person with very good character and personality. Babara spent the best time with you in her school life I can tell. All her smiles are shinning with you!
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NGUYEN THI THU HONG
9 years ago
Dear Rob

The last time you went to see mother Barbara, their families longer active trade fish and chips shop ?
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Rob
9 years ago
Her family sold the fish and ship shop about 13 years ago. The present owner still has contact with Barbara family.
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peter
9 years ago
both you and barbara are so cute and lovely . :lol: ;-)
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hzm
11 years ago
haha
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