S is for Strange conversations

I use public transport religiously. It means we are a one car family which saves a bucket of money and helps out the environment to boot. Even better I get to walk about 40 minutes a day which helps with the waistline!

But there is an added “bonus” and that is: strange conversations with strangers.

Over the years I have had some seriously good ones, point in case, two days ago I was walking alongside an elderly polynesian man…

“Nice day” he said.

“Yep”, I said fumbling with my earbuds so I could hear what he had to say.

“You going home? Had a long day?” he asked

“Yep, on the I’m on my way home” I said.

“Good, good” he mused. “Maybe have a whisky to relax?” he puzzled.

“Maybe a bourbon” I volunteered…

“Get a massage?” he said with a grin.

What? I thought to myself…

“You should get yourself a Chinese Lady” he announced.  ”Not a fat one; a nice skinny one”  he continued.

“Ahhhhh????” I muttered trying to wrap my head around where this conversation was going.

We walked on for a few moments and then he asked “You married?”

“Yes” I said non-committedly, my brain still wrestling with his comment about Chinese Ladies.

“Mmmm….” he mused, “Sorry”.  Then our paths diverged him going left and me going right.

Perhaps my favourite stranger conversion was with an elderly lady on a bus a few years ago. As I sat down across from her, she leaned forward and said “You remind me of an Italian Duke I once knew”. Oh boy, I thought, here we go again.

It turns out that she was a bit wayward as a young girl and left the farm to see the world (much to her parents horror). Somehow she landed up as the Au Pair for a widowed Italian Duke and then worked her wiles to become his consort. Apparently their relationship caused much scandal and anguish amongst the local nobility, especially the Duchesses. She even pulled out a faded photo of herself when she was young, I must say she was quite the looker and I suspect with her looks and strong personality the poor Duke never stood a chance. Unfortunately the bus arrived at her stop before I could find out more.

So the next time you decide to drive somewhere, perhaps take the bus or train instead. You never know what interesting conversations you might have :)