An Unexpected Chance Encounter

happened at Southwold, East Anglia,  my ancestral town...a place where my soul is much at rest and 'at home'.  I offered to take a friend and her friend, as her car was only a two seater, and my plan was to abandon them and go for a stomp.  It didn't happen!!  We shared croissants and coffee in The Crown, then strolled the promenade where I was stopped by someone calling my name enthusiastically.  Although she wore dark sunglasses her voice was not to be mistaken.   OMG a former colleague whom I have not seen for eleven years.  However, she and her husband were chatty and friendly, without enmity and it appears they knew not what had happened to me or the treatment I had received.  After about half an hour another colleague passed us by and I called out her name!  Both were with their husbands, both meet regularly and are good friends.  How peculiar!  More gossip and information.  More knowledge at that school where I worked for 23 years. More about those who since my demise have also suffered mentally, emotionally, were gagged as I had been, and generally had a worse than poor experience in education. I jovially said 'all we need is for another teacher to arrive' but was told that she rarely goes out and will not speak about the school as she is dreadfully hurt!  Although I was nervous, I managed to stop tears by laughing. I was astounded by the chance encounter.  Maybe it was necessary for the healing!  I  feel empowered to address the issues of the way that I was treated, with the County, not completely by the County but one woman in particular,  but have other things to do. I was grateful for my early retirement and freedom from a very sickly school. It destroyed me, but like the sun I am rising!