Names

I'm not very good with names. Remembering them, associating them with faces. Five seconds after hearing a name, it's gone. A trait I think share with lots of people.

There's Brazilian lady who lives in my street. I've walked into town with her a couple of times - we happened to be going the same way. We've chatted. I learned she wasn't Spanish. Or Portuguese.

I still don't know her name. Though she did tell me when we first met. But then, five seconds later, off it went.
The second time we met she did this thing - "It's James, isn't it?"
Cool and calm as you like. It was slick. For some reason I can't bring myself to do that. It doesn't help that I don't even have the vaguest of inklings of what her name is.

But I do know her kid's name - it's Ethan. I know this because every time I see the two of them together she mentions it - keep away from the kerb Ethan, don't run Ethan.

Ethan's no help. Just calls her Mummy.

So now when I see her I ask her how Ethan is. Just to prove that yes, I was listening the first time we met.

She's going to be really freaked out come Christmas card time