.random[oid]archive

The rain was coming down in buckets — they have issued a flood warning (more like a concern) in our area — when I finally managed to drag myself out of bed. I had a very goodnight’s sleep, but it is always a drag to get up when you take benzodiazepine to help you sleep better.
As I enjoyed my mixed breakfast — English muffins, pasta and bean salad and tea — I noticed that the rain was easing a bit; not being so intense. With intense I mean, step outside and get drenched in 1 second intense.

I had to go down to the store for a few things we had forgotten to buy this other day, but I was hoping that the rain would turn into a light drizzle. I have only a learner’s license here (and I am not too keen on braking the law) and we have only one umbrella (that Lizzie seems to have taken with her). I had been begging mother nature for rain for a while, so I guess I just had to suck it up and enjoy it with a huge smile on my face.

As I was walking down the street, getting slightly damp by the rain, I saw a big polar bear with a red and white cap with a tiny propeller on top; I should also add that he was carrying an umbrella.
‘Hello there, you need some cover from the rain’, he said with a very odd Nordic accent (couldn’t really pin point which country though). I looked at him for a bit, trying to figure out if I were still dreaming or not; he looked back at me and tried to give me a friendly grin. ‘Sure, why not; if you do not mind of course’, I told him.
We started walking down the street and I carefully looked at him, hoping he would not notice me looking like a question mark; but he seemed very happy and content with the situation.

I just had to ask, ‘So, uhm…. What are you doing here?’
‘Oh, not much. It is so cold up north you know, and I wanted to see how people are down south. What about you, and where are you from?’
‘Uh.. Uhm… I am also from up north, you know, Norway — ‘Oh really! That is nice. I like it there, specially Svalbard; nice people there, if you keep your distance.’ — Yeah… I came here with my wife, but also wanted to see what life is like here Down Under.’ Not sure if I was talking to myself, but I might as well play along, right? People talk to God everyday, so why can not I for once talk to a polar bear?
He sighed a bit; ‘I am heading home soon, so I should not be unhappy about it, but it is more about why I am leaving I am unhappy.’
‘Oh, really? Why?’
And another sigh came; ‘Well, as I am so different it is very difficult for me here. Up north people are used to us polar bears, but here I am too different. How do you find it here?’
‘Well, if I only could get a job in this bloody country I think things would be much easier and enjoyable, but still not been given, as they say here, a fair go yet; I feel completely lost. I guess it is safe to say I know how you feel.’
‘Yeah, that is true. I have heard from many non-Australian humans it is difficult to find work here.’

We kept talking about our woes as we walked down the street, getting closer to the store, but no one seemed bothered that beside me was a big polar bear wearing a red and white cap with a tiny propeller on top, covering me with his umbrella.
He told me he would prefer to stay outside and wait as he tends to knock shelves down by accident; it is kind of unpopular and gets him in trouble. He wanted to stay out of trouble before he left Australia.

I wandered around and got the stuff I needed; but I could not understand that there was a friendly polar bear — talking polar bear for that matter — waiting for me outside the store. Stranger things have happened, I think. We still do not really know for sure what happened over Tunguska; or do we?

He greeted me with his odd happy grin again; ‘Did you get all the things you needed?’
‘Yeah, I sure hope so.’, I said smiling back.
We started walking back to my street, but we didn’t talk much; we kind of just enjoyed the silence and our company. You know you are in good company when silence is not awkward.

We stopped at the beginning of my street and I said, ‘Well, it was for sure nice meeting you. Not sure we will meet again though, as I can only assume you have no phone or email.’
He laughed very loud, ‘Yeah, you are right. I do not need a phone, it just makes me feel chained you know; but an email would be handy, if I could be bothered with getting a computer. I am going to Svalbard, so, if you ever go there, we might just meet again.’
‘I will keep that in mind, if I go there. I hope to one day though. Enjoy your trip back to the north, and do not be a stranger if you come back here.’
‘I will keep that in mind. Good luck with finding a job and getting your career going, hopefully you will be stationed on Antarctica; nice place by the way, but too many penguins for my taste; the seals taste nice though.’
We shook, uhm, hand and paw, and went our separate ways.

I took a few steps and turned around. He was still there, waddling off with his umbrella and the funny looking hat. Stranger things might have happened, but you do not really see things like this everyday.