11/07/2016, Junk monkey.

One of my neighbours has been doing a massive clear-out for a good week now, a yellow Junk Monkey van has been regularly parked outside his house,including today. When my husband became ill,with the illness taking stronger and stronger grip of his mind, his behaviour became more and more unpredictable. He would mimic people and a lot of them,especially in restaurants,not knowing why,would find it offensive. I called him endearingly my little monkey,he adored it and would play up,make faces and tell every- one who would care to listen and to every-one who wouldn't - my wife says I am a monkey. And he would smile broadly and wave his hands about. The staff at my local Marks & Spencer had become quite accustomed to him, knowing he was harmless and always treated him with kindness and respect.As long as I could I involved my husband with everything I did,he loved it,forever deciding like Mr Monk what to get, choosing this that or something else,never quite making up his mind and always saying to me in the end - you decide, you know best.On this trip taking the least crowded back approach, there was a young black boy coming towards us. My husband smiled at him and said - my wife says you are a monkey. The boy looked at me in astonishment, his previously handsome face distorted with anger. He approached us and I knew he was going to hit me. I was horrified. Not because he would hit me, but because he misunderstood my husband completely [and who can blame him]. The M & S staff go to smoke at the back of the store and one of them happened to be standing there already. He noticed us approaching and we smiled at each other,with my husband directing his attention to the boy. The employee could see my smiling face disappear, and not hearing anything he thought the black boy was going to attack us. He ran towards us and said - are you all right? My husband said something and this young man has misunderstood him completely-I started to explain. Her husband told me she called me a monkey. The M&S employee,himself black, burst out laughing. Oh,you just misunderstood him,he said,he tells us every time they come in - my wife says you are a monkey. She tells him HE is a monkey but that is not the way he says it. We know them both well, the lady is my favourite customer. The boy looked at us,muttered something and left.