Dear Kitty,
Tomorrow's my last day of work, and I think I'm going to miss it, especially the travelling to and from the theatre. It's been tremendous fun, and I've seen some SERIOUSLY weird people on the train. Let me tell you about today's:
So, I got onto the train this afternoon after work, same as usual. And it was packed, as it always is at 3:00 (I have very erratic work hours). I found a free seat, and sat down opposite a very old man. He was wearing a beret (of all things to wear in summer) and sunglasses, and had shoulder-length grey hair. As I sat down, he looked at me, and said (in German) 'What a lovely summer skirt.' I smiled confusedly and looked out of the window. 'Yes, it's a very pretty skirt for today.' I looked at him again. He didn't move for a few minutes, and then - I kid you not - took a bottle of vodka out of his pocket. After he'd finished with it, his phone rang, and he answered it, shouting 'HELLO! I'M ON THE TRIAN BUT WE'RE TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATE. I'LL BE THERE LATER - AUF WIEDERSEHEN!' and hung up without letting the other person say anything. Then, the train stopped because of a delay on the line, and he looked at me and said 'oh, these young people. They like to get themselves killed on the track.' I nodded and blinked at him. Then, when we started moving again, he looked at me and said 'hast du eine Omi?' I'm not used to the word 'Omi', only 'Großmutter', so I couldn't understand it until I told him I was English, and he said 'DO YOU HAVE A GRANDMOTHER?'
'Oh, yes, I do.' He smiled and looked at me. 'Yes, don't dig their graves. Let them dig them themselves - and then you won't have to carry them to the grave when they die.' There was a pause. 'Trust your parents, your mum, your dad, your sister, your uncles, your aunts, and your grandparents.' I thought he had finished, and turned away, before he belted down the middle of the train 'AND DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYONE!'.
Yours,
Francesca
Tomorrow's my last day of work, and I think I'm going to miss it, especially the travelling to and from the theatre. It's been tremendous fun, and I've seen some SERIOUSLY weird people on the train. Let me tell you about today's:
So, I got onto the train this afternoon after work, same as usual. And it was packed, as it always is at 3:00 (I have very erratic work hours). I found a free seat, and sat down opposite a very old man. He was wearing a beret (of all things to wear in summer) and sunglasses, and had shoulder-length grey hair. As I sat down, he looked at me, and said (in German) 'What a lovely summer skirt.' I smiled confusedly and looked out of the window. 'Yes, it's a very pretty skirt for today.' I looked at him again. He didn't move for a few minutes, and then - I kid you not - took a bottle of vodka out of his pocket. After he'd finished with it, his phone rang, and he answered it, shouting 'HELLO! I'M ON THE TRIAN BUT WE'RE TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATE. I'LL BE THERE LATER - AUF WIEDERSEHEN!' and hung up without letting the other person say anything. Then, the train stopped because of a delay on the line, and he looked at me and said 'oh, these young people. They like to get themselves killed on the track.' I nodded and blinked at him. Then, when we started moving again, he looked at me and said 'hast du eine Omi?' I'm not used to the word 'Omi', only 'Großmutter', so I couldn't understand it until I told him I was English, and he said 'DO YOU HAVE A GRANDMOTHER?'
'Oh, yes, I do.' He smiled and looked at me. 'Yes, don't dig their graves. Let them dig them themselves - and then you won't have to carry them to the grave when they die.' There was a pause. 'Trust your parents, your mum, your dad, your sister, your uncles, your aunts, and your grandparents.' I thought he had finished, and turned away, before he belted down the middle of the train 'AND DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYONE!'.
Yours,
Francesca
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