Sunday 5th October 2008

I did it.

I phoned the first number.

My heart was wrapped in an elastic band.

087… The number did not work.

Of course, it was Ireland, so + 353 087…

Still no response.

I tried 00353, and nothing.

All that I can conclude is that the person who left their number in the Turk’s Head in Dublin did not want to be contacted.

I had fallen again at the first hurdle.

Undeterred, I phoned the second number:

Me: Hi, is that Natasha?

Natasha: Yes.

Me: Hello, I found your number in a book shop on Oxford Street.

The conversation went from there. Natasha is a student from St Vincent and the Grenadines. She was so excited to hear from me. I asked her to send me an e-mail about why her number was left on a sideboard in a book shop in London.

Let’s see what happens.