Tonight I looked fear straight in the eye. Time will tell how it will turn out.

At the swimming pool I have run into an older gentleman, around 65, quite often. I don't even know his name, but he has remembered mine. I told him I was Finland so he usually calls me Mr Lonne from Finland. He usually talks to me in broken English and I say a little something back. Usually 10 minutes to say 5 sentences. Today he offered to take me to his place for a home cooked meal. I said no a few times, but he insisted and I finally said yes since I have not had a Inidan home cooked meal yet. I thought there was nothing to worry about, he can afford a private gym membership, wears decent clothes and said he worked in import-export business.

We left the gym around 6 and he says he has to make a stop first. It was to the local Big Bazaar, like a mini Super Target on 3 floors with the grocery store being on the top floor. This place was packed. It was like the holiday season back in the US. He walked around and had to touch, feel and talk to every employee that walked by. After an hour we finally left and he bought about $10 worth of stuff. This included a 20 pound bag of rice and a free 5 pound bag of sugar that I ended up carrying around.

We get back in his car and head of to his place. When we pull up his says he has a very small house and it was. It was in the older part of town and looked like it was built in the 1930's and hasn't been touched since with dirt and all. It was a one bedroom place. He offered me some water, but I noticed it was only tap water and said no thank you. He started cooking right away and said it would be about 15 minutes. After about an hour he started throwing some food on the table. He said his maid usually cooks but she has the day off. It was basically left over mutton with chilly rice, fried cucumber and hard boiled eggs mixed in the mutton curry. It wasn't too bad, but I prayed before the meal that I would not get sick from this. When he put the plates and silverware on the table they had been freshly washed and still had water on them. One of my rules is not to eat anything off of dishes, silverware or glasses that are still wet - too much possible bacteria. I tried to wipe the silverware off on my shirt to somewhat help. If I do not get sick I will know my stomach is getting use to the bacteria. Also while he was cooking he changed right in front of me from his dress clothes into linen like sleeping pajamas.

We finish eating, he cleans off the table and turns on the tv in his bedroom. I hear him yell Mr. Lonne come in and relax. I go in and his laying on the left side of the bed. He points to the other side of the bed and says, "Lay down and relax". There was no way in hell I was laying down next to the guy, so I sat on the very edge of the side of the bed. THis bed had no mattress, it just felt like a board. He starts flipping through the channels and puts some Hindi movie on. In the corner of my eye I can see him scratching/adjusting himself and I mean really digging in. I am now one cheek on the bed and ready to run. His phone rings and he said it was his sister checking in. After the phone call he starts scratching away again. I finallly said I have to get going, and he said ok and took me back.

He is probably a lonely harmless old man, but I was starting to freak out. It made for an entertaining night for me. My stomach is churning already. I took a zantac and have the zpac ready.