17 Comments
User's avatar
David Perlmutter's avatar

I was thinking: it had to be some watch!

Bill Hiatt's avatar

Inspiration can often come from very simple things. It doesn't take much to get the imagination working.

Caz Hart's avatar

Don't hate me, but the back story is more interesting. Sorry. 😂

We're wall to wall with baristas here in Melbourne, no more so than the region inhabited by Nathan.

Your last line is excellent.

I'm going to guess the real live watch being retrieved in person was a prestige piece of significant value. The time and cost of the air fare must have been a fraction of the value of the time piece.

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

No worries, Caz 😆

I’m sure the real world story would be far more interesting too 😁

I really need to visit Melbourne soon as it seems a really cool place and I can get lots of new story ideas from all the conversations I overhear!

Caz Hart's avatar

I imagine Americans have much better and bizarre overheard conversations than we have in Australia, because, you know, everything. 😂

Yeah, apparently Melbourne is a pretty cool place to be, it's a long way from anywhere, though.

Look out for dropped notes or shopping lists, although I'd guess uncommon for people to write stuff on pieces of paper these days. I've occasionally picked up lost personal notes that have quickly moved from grocery items to signs of insanity. Always intriguing.

A. B. Frank's avatar

Great job!!

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks very much 🙏

Kathleen Clare Waller's avatar

Love this. And why not spend longer in HK?

There's something of the coffee shop from that When the Coffee Gets Cold book here (it's also a time travel place with a ghost, sounds bizarre but is really good).

Having lived in HK for a long time previously, there were all sorts of bizarre reasons people would come to the city for a short amount of time. I think there's a lot in the layers of this short text! Happy to have discovered you via Nathan.

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks very much, Kathleen. I’m so glad you liked the story 🙏.

It’s nice to meet you 🙂

That book does sound really good so I’ll need to check it out. Just added to my TBR list

Hong Kong is somewhere I’d love to visit so hopefully I’ll get there some day 👍🏼

Ika Wright's avatar

Cool interpretation! It went straight to the root of many problems. The past certainly needs adjusting. Question is would you do it?

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks very much, Ika 🙏

That is a good question, and one that I ponder every day 🤔 Still don’t have a definitive answer though 😁

Working on another story just now where it comes up again, so we’ll see 👍🏼

Nic Wrote This's avatar

Melbourne lass here. Barista’s are like cab drivers and hairdressers. They hear all manner of secrets ! I’d tap that resource for sure 👌

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks Nic 👍🏼

Yeah, I’ve asked Nathan to keep me posted. Could be a treasure trove of ideas 😁

Alexander Ipfelkofer's avatar

Hah! Fantastic. Love the tie-in with the convo, too.

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks very much, Alexander 🙏

Yeah, Nathan needs to keep us posted on other overheard conversations to inspire more stories 😁

Nathan Slake's avatar

I'd been waiting for this to arrive in my inbox. "The past needed adjusting." is such a great ending line. It makes you double take. Brilliant, Dan!

If only the barista and lady in the cafe knew they had just been immortalised online via a Note and then a post!

Daniel O’Donnell's avatar

Thanks very much, Nathan 🙏

Glad you liked it 👍🏼😁