Suspicious or Not?

Suspicious or Not?

This week is Market week and a very good week to have a stall. I feel extremely well informed on the process of setting up, organising and the general ‘to do’s’ of the way the market is run. And although this is my first time at a market I am confident with the procedure.

There is just one point on the dot point e-mail that has me intrigued. I’m fine with the bump in and the bump out. I’m okay with no vehicles on site and I understand about clean up etc. What gets me is the concern on terrorism in our ‘modern world’. All stall holders have been asked to look out for any suspicious behaviour and my problem is in defining suspicious. My stall, as beautiful as it is, has been place down the end of the run and I focus mostly on the toilet block, an oyster truck, sausage sizzle and, squeezed between the two, a lovely young man promoting veganism.

It’s windy, quite cold, and not too many people venturing down our way. The toilet block, however, seems to me to be a great source of suspicious behaviour, none of which I feel the authorities will be concerned with, but, never the less it does concern me.

People approach the building suspiciously darting looks left and right presumably trying to decipher which entrance is for Males and which way is it to the Female entrance, (I myself ended up at the garbage bay on my first attempt). With hands in pocket and wandering forwards and back I believe there is a high chance of making a wrong decision as there are no arrows or any other indication of which way leads to Rome.

The smoking area is right next to the privy so there are people hanging suspiciously around under the spreading macrocarpa tree. Their heads are bent down; they scuff their feet and talk in hushed tones. The smell is not suspicious just impure nicotine. I doubt if I’ll report them.

Men wander out of the toilet still appearing aimless and wiping their hands on the back of their trousers. One gentleman wiping so vigorously I think he must be frisking himself. Others seem to have their hand stuck in their back pockets; perhaps their jeans have towels attached to the insides.

Should I be suspicious of the guy who just took a photo of my stand and is staring intently at my shirt front? No it is my husband and yes he has noticed I’m wearing his jumper.

For the fourteenth time, (yes I am counting) a man cycles past very slowly dinging his bell. He is probably just moving to keep warm and there is no reason for me to think that there is anything other than the advertised ice-creams in the mini fridge on the front of his trike.

Now the man with the phone to his ear on the way into the toilet is suspicious – so I’ll wait for his exit. He exits stuffing his phone into his pocket. Mental note to oneself – don’t borrow his phone!

Man in Zombie T Shirt speaks to me, his zombie is called ‘The Lonely Zombie’, and he has a foreign accent. I guess that’s allowed as we come from a multi-cultural society and people are often pulling me up on my accent and the ‘funny things’ I say.

I witness a group huddle for a four year old being congratulated for doing his first stand up wee. Well done little man! Soon you will be able to pee without an entourage.

I observe the use of sausages as hand warmers and I eat my curry veg and dahl huddled behind my trestle table. Not much else is worthy of a mention. Vegan looks cold and accepts my offer of spare lantern. Oysterman and Sausage man have their own lighting.

7:36 Tall man walks out of toilet with five year old girl and enters disabled loo, maybe someone was at the urinal. I am watching kid at barbeque stall remove cans of drinks from ice bucket and place them on the table, not suspicious, hmmm… he vigorously shook the water off each can of fizzy as he went. Should I be suspicious when the sausage man passes with leftover bread and offers me his buns? Haven’t those two ladies walked past three times, suspicious? They are most likely just power walking to keep warm.

Sausage man has sold all his food and is packing up early. Vegan still has food on his stall. Another suspicious man has left toilets. I know he is suspicious as he isn’t wiping his hands - I’m thinking typhoid and diphtheria.

Actually I’m concerned about my own suspicious behaviour; here I am, hiding inconspicuous amoungst my pot plants peeking out like an old lady from behind a net curtain, accosting strangers and asking questions like is your dog cold?, how old is your baby?, six months - oh sorry he just looks small, do you like reading or not too cold for an ice cream then?

I’m not sure where all the time went and I feel a bit suspicious when the auxiliary motors on the food stands turn off all at once, like has someone cut a power cord?

Everyone is packing up and I am left wondering if perhaps I should do likewise before my suspiciousness turns into paranoia.