Google blues

Photo prompt © Ayr/Gray

I’m on time. I check the address.  All good. But where is he?

‘Don’t be late,’ he said. ‘I only have an hour and you know how you … ‘

‘Yes, I know,’ I replied, my tone somewhat terse, as I recall. ‘Congenitally tardy’—that’s what he called me, and I couldn’t argue. Already he’s discovered my glaring inadequacy. Well, I’m here. But where is he?

I don’t panic. I wander/pace, studying my surroundings. He’s also noticed my other big under-achievement. ‘Don’t you observe anything? Didn’t you see that bridge/bird/building?’ 

Building—I’ll pay attention, and tell him everything I’ve observed while I waited. This building—empty/deserted. Forlorn, as though falling into depression/despondency—I mean disrepair. There’s a sign. Ha! French! Come on Google Translate, give me something impressive. I’ll show him who’s observant. And on time.

And Google says I’m waiting outside a howl mill. That can’t be right. Scroll further. Ah, that’s for animals. Animals howl. But a howl mill? 

For humans—‘scream or yell’. No help there.

Before I yell/scream/howl he arrives. I tell him about my observations when he finishes apologising for his ‘tardiness’. 

‘It’s fine,’ I coo, generous in my understanding. ‘And guess what this building is? I’ve been observing it.’

So now he also knows how bad my spelling is. 

‘It’s an oil mill. ’Huile’, not ‘hurle’,’ he explains, somewhat patronisingly, but I overlook it.

‘Hurle’ also means ‘clash’—when it’s colours—I’m thinking, as we move away, not holding hands.

***

250 words for The Unicorn Challenge, hosted by Jenne Gray and C.E. Ayr.

Apologies to competent French speakers for any and all errors here. I had to rely on Google :-).