YJ AND THE DOGS

Coming out of the post office on Stokes Croft the paper I’d just bought under my arm, YJ, from the flats, with his two dogs on leads, stopped on the pavement in front of me and said, ‘Hello, how are you?’
‘Hello,’ I said, surprised, unsettled. ‘Yes, I’m good thanks.’
‘You busy today?’
‘Yes,’ suspicious. ‘Got a few things on. You?’
‘Walking the dogs, is all.’
‘Where you off to?’
‘We’re on our way back already,’ he said.
‘How are they both?’ meaning the dogs.
‘Good, yeh, good.’
We passed the Big Issue office as a small dog pulled in the doorway on a lead towards YJ’s two who pulled toward the small.
‘Come here, come here,’ said YJ and I went on not really comfortable wondering how it’d be walking back to the flats with him who I’ve only spoke to in the lift before now.
‘Anyway,’ he called after me and I turned round, ‘Have a nice day.’
I waved, relieved, ‘Thanks, you too.’