You’ve gotta have faith…

I seem to keep having to learn lessons about what I do in public! First of all there was the recent “wine bottle” incipient (as documented elsewhere on this blog) and now I have to report to you a religious experience.

Yours truly and “the girl who left the lights on” * were invited to a “Murder/Mystery party” at the weekend. She went at “Mama Rosa” (a matriarchal Italian character) whilst I went as “Father Al Fredo”, the priest and family friend. As you may know I like to “play the part” when asked, so I duly put on my black suit, black shirt and a dog collar (made from a strip of cardboard taken from her latest packet of tights) and we set off up the A3 towards our destination. “TGWLTLO” declared that she had had very little to eat that day and was rather peckish. It seemed only right that I stopped at the Wisley services to pick up a sandwich to sustain her until our arrival at the party. Which we duly did.

I stepped into the forecourt shop and picked a beef sandwich from the shelf and proceeded to queue for the cashier. I did notice that I was getting some stares (more than usual!) and of course then realised that I was “Father Al Fredo” rather than PG. This got me thinking - when did you last see a priest queue up in a petrol station? Do they dress casualty for that activity…surely they must need petrol or something when on their way to conduct various duties? Anyway, there I was, in the queue with my beef sandwich.

I arrived eventually at the counter...and noticed that the cashier was even more polite than usual, which made me smile further. It was then than it all got the better of me…sometimes I can’t help myself…and this was no exception. As I paid for the sandwich, and was given change and receipt, I looked in the eye of the cashier and said “bless you”.

I then made straight for the car with a wry smile.

My only worry of the whole event is whether imitating a man of the cloth in a garage forecourt is morally wrong – even if it is for the purposes of a party. To that end, thank you for reading my confession and I hope you forgive me!

Have a good week.

PG

* “The girl who left the lights on” – reference to my “companion” who accompanied me to Spain in the summer and proceeded to get us stranded by leaving the rental car lights, thereby running down the battery, in the middle of nowhere, somewhere north of Malaga!