"Well, hello. How are you?" Harry looked down at the diminutive figure, whose elfin face was beaming up at him.

"I'm fine. Busy but happy enough, y'know, and you?"

He shuffled his feet uncomfortably; "it's been hard trying to put it all together again."

She snorted, "Well, we all make mistakes."

"Yes, it's just that I seem to make more than most." His mind raced, wanting to make a good impression, while fighting back the urge to say, 'and besides I only married on the rebound because you'd told me it was all over between us'. He kept quiet as Tanya spoke again.

"You make the choices in your life. You decide on the pathways to follow. If it's not right, well, you can change it." Her voice had dropped in tone, her face now serious.

"And you Tanya, how have you been?" He struggled a smile.

"Oh, I've not been well, nearly collapsed last week but went to see my kineologist. He is absolutely marvellous. He managed to sort me out straight away."

"So, what was wrong?" He said, changing weight to the other foot, supporting his face on his hand, knowing this was going to take some time.

"Oh, I ate some mushrooms last week. Bought them from the supermarket, just ordinary organic chestnut mushrooms, y'know. Well, within a few minutes I just felt awful, really bad. Obviously I rested. But that was no help, you know that allowing the body time to recover from any allergy or illness is the right way. You do know that, don't you? It's important that everyone knows what to do in the event of an attack. Even an ex-husband."

He managed a grimace, "Sure, yes I know. You have told me before. So, what happened then?"

Tanya gave him one of her looks, "No need for that. I felt dreadful. Really bad. I had a contract to finish off for Chelsea but just could not manage to finish it that day."

"But you recovered OK?"

The look came again coupled with a sigh, "I rang Charles and he agreed to see me right away. He really is so marvellous."

"How much did that cost?"

"What does that matter. He works miracles. He is worth every penny. Besides it was only £50, which is peanuts for what he achieved."

He shifted to the other foot, glanced up the street towards the supermarket, "What did he do?"

"That's the marvellous thing. He doesn't do anything. It's all done by him relating to the body. You don't play any part in it at all. He just puts his hand on your arm and asks your body questions."

"Great, what questions did he ask yours?" His tone was laconic. She was not amused.

"Listen it works! That's what is important. More cynical people than you have been helped by Charles. They keep going back to him."

He was tempted to ask why they should have to do that, but was interrupted as she streamed onwards.

"Within minutes he'd found it. The liver. That was it!" she exclaimed.

"So, what did he do then?" he asked.

"Well nothing. He doesn't do anything. The body cures itself. He just points out what is wrong."

"Sounds good." He really meant, "sounds like good business for this Charles."

"He found the diagnosis in a book or rather the body told him which page to turn to in the book."

"Hold on, how did the body tell him which page to open in a book?" Harry asked.

"He just said the body wants me to open this book, here on the shelf, and open it at page 325 and there it was, Liver Complaints." She beamed up at him.

"And now you feel better?"

"Well much better than I did. It will take time to recover fully." The serious tone, the lowered voice had returned.

Harry too spoke quietly, "What treatment was suggested?"

"Mineral water." Tanya spoke firmly and confidently, head thrown back in defiance.

"I'm glad you are to be sorted out." He paused, "Marcus seems to be getting his act together at last. His web sites are looking really professional."

The voice lowered itself again as she gazed into the distance, "Yes, but it's only skin deep. He really is very depressed."

"Really? I emailed him several times this week. He seemed quite bright and cheerful." Harry knew his exasperation was beginning to show.

"Well, that's it then. I expect we'll see each other on Saturday." Again perky and bright.

"Saturday, why?"

"Well I hear you are going to Sally's joining together party. God knows why she's inviting that waste of space into her home beats me, but I expect she'll learn."

"Oh, right. How do you know Sally?" The thought of spending an evening in the same room as his ex-wife and her girlfriend was too much to bear. "I didn't realise you knew her."

"She used to come to our Women's' Group, remember? Don't expect we'll see much of her from now on, pity she was a nice girl."

"Just because she has decided to be normal doesn't stop her from being nice!" His voice was now raised. This was going to muck up all his plans.

"It's a lesson I should have learnt about you years ago. You'll never learn because you never really listen. See you Saturday."

She pranced off down the road.

He noticed the supermarket doors had just closed.

Back home he sent an email, 'Louise; Plans changed for Saturday. Probably can't make it. Be in touch. Sorry.'