Until recently we didn't have a name for it, but we have lived with it for nearly 25 years. As we sat in the interval of Alice's school concert and watched Anth's back disappear into the crowd; Lucy rolled her eyes,turned to me and said, "He's such a Meercat!"
She didn't need to explain, I knew exactly what she meant and it produced howls of laughter. Her father is indeed a Meercat. You see he cannot enter any gathering of people without his head popping up, it turns from side to side looking for anyone he remotely recognises to go and talk to. And off he goes leaving me alone or trailing about after. He just loves to socialise and meet people so now we call it 'doing a Meercat' and even he laughs at that description. Love him.
Although on occasion his warm friendliness has been a tad embarrassing and it seems to be poor old Lucy who is the victim. She has never forgotten the time during a discussion with her headmistress he called her by the wrong first name no less than 3 times. She was of an era that you would have addressed her by her title (i.e Mrs ...) certainly not by her first name - and someone else's at that!
But for Lucy, the event that happened last week will not be forgotten in a hurry. She has a part-time job at a small library near here and as she sat working on the computer she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around she saw a pair of black lycra-clad legs.
It was Anth. He had gone for a cycle ride and decided to pop into the library to see her. The lycra dungarees are tight. Very tight. The florescent jacket is short and very bright. It would have been alright if no-one had spotted him but it was too late. Lucy's colleagues were very pleased to meet him and her boss took him around to be introduced to everyone in the building. Yes everyone.
"Not wearing those leggings, surely?" I pleaded when the story was being relayed to me.
"Oh it was alright," said Anth, "I covered the embarrassing bits with my helmet!"
Enough said. But although we may tease him for his affable ways; it is because of them that we met and I am very proud of him, and honored to be his wife.
Even if he has to walk around with a helmet held to his groin..
