Salad Days

"Well Teddy," Jonah said, placing two mugs of cocoa on the coffee table. "That was an interesting day out wasn't it?"

"Yes it was." Teddy agreed. "I bet you're glad you took me along otherwise you wouldn't have felt right on the coach back, sleeping on your own, would you?"

"Probably not."

"And the girls on the seat opposite thought you looked really cute, sucking your thumb."

"Eh?"

"Just kidding. Seriously, it must have been quite an eye-opener for you seeing how much Brum has changed since you left your alma mater."

"It was. I mean, the bull ring was nothing like that. Those malls weren't there in my day."

"Yes, and there's street lighting and motorised transport there now as well."

"Ha bl**dy ha Teddy. But Aston University didn't seem to have changed much."

"Except when you were there they didn't have creepy old men wandering round campus and going up and down in the lifts."

"I just wanted to have a look round ok? Those lifts were very space age in my day."

"So were pop videos."

"That's true. But going to the pub on campus was the biggest eye opener for me."

"How come? It still has the same name, and you said the decor hadn't changed much either."

"Yes but in my day it was always full of p*ssed up students like me playing drinking games. Now the barmaid won't serve anyone under 21, and so the place is full of builders. Very sad I thought. I mean, what's the point of going to Uni if you don't spend all your time in the pub getting drunk?"

"Well, for some Jona-thon, going to Uni is about working hard, getting a good degree instead of a 'Desmond Tutu' and then when you leave, getting a decent job that not only challenges you mentally but also actually pays enough money to live properly."

"You may have a point there Teddy," Jonah said plaintively as the electricity supply in his house suddenly ceased due to non-payment. "Oh well, even though I'm living on the breadline at least I can reminisce about my salad days."

"You're having a laugh," Teddy guffawed. "Salad days, you? You look like you've spent most of your life dodging the ****ing things mate. Which is why you won't be going sub-50 minutes at the Bromham 10k tomorrow."

"No Teddy, it'll be because I spent all of today on my feet. And besides, I always eat the salad that comes in my kebab."