IF I DIE TOMORROW

Dropping the fish food into the tank, I did my rounds.

It was 2013 and I was working in a tropical fish shop called Amazon Aquatics.

Making sure all our little swimmers were happy, I noticed a message pop up on our Facebook page from a woman named Sara.

Can you help me? I’ve got a question about reptiles, the message read. I’m in Wigan.

At the time, I was based in Warminster – 245 miles away – so I wasn’t sure how much help I’d be.

We’re a few hundred miles away from you, I joked. But how can I help?

We got chatting and I did what I could to help when she sent a message I wasn’t quite expecting.

I thought you’d be a fat dude with a beard, she wrote. But you’re not too bad.