A new place..

Today I found myself in South London, venturing to a place near the Common. I discovered somewhere I'd never been before. There was an alleyway by the side of the station, draped in shadows. I found myself walking down the alley. There was something odd about the experience, which for a few seconds I could scarcely articulate. Then I realised: it was the smell. I caught something of Nigeria wafting from high above: the aroma of dried fish, sweet smelling fruit and the dry-musty odour of the red earth, pulling me to a new definition of home.

At the end of the alleyway, a door stood ajar. I pushed it open and stepped inside. There, there was laughter and a strange air of expectancy, as if someone had been waiting a long time.

But the room was empty.

A dark polished mahogany bar stood sleek and proud at the end of the room. I could see bottles of Cuban rum hanging upside down, waiting to be turned into a cocktail. A plasma screen beamed images of the city out from a wall. Stalks of lillies sprouted from an elegant tall vase. There was no barman, just the bottles, and a saucer of limes on the bar. I could smell Nigeria again, coming from upstairs. I left the bar to my left and mounted the stairs. What happened next was a mystery...