Grief, what is it with me today?
Aug. 27th, 2004 03:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsI forgot to bring lunch this morning, and I needed to get out of the office anyway for lunch. I didn't feel guilty about it at all; I'd written 500 words on the bus this morning, a bit of fumbling, nothing great, but at least it was writing.
So I walked out of the office and took the three block walk up to Larry's supermarket to grab a sandwich. As I went in, I walked past two young men with what looked like petition sheets. And as I walked past...
Good grief, but he was beautiful. Definitely somewhere between voting age and drinking age, with a pale face and tousely brown hair held back with a headband, soft brown eyes, and gorgeous lips. He had only a touch of scruff on his chin that was a shade lighter than his hair. He wore an open blue long-sleeve shirt that was a size too big for him over a black tee-shirt that was a size too small. I was so surprised by my reaction that I let him try and talk me into filling out his petition-- something about the Democratic National Commitee-- before I realized that I was already listed for them somewhere and I really, really had to go somewhere and get some air. Anywhere.
I managed to get into the store, ordered a sandwich from the deli, and went looking for drinks. I ran into two women, one clearly older than the other, back in the drinks section, and one was scanning the aisles. They were talking to each other in Japanese, and the older one turned to me and said in halting English, "Excuse me? Talking Rain... do you have?"
In equally halting Japanese I said, "Sumimasen. Koko ni shigoto shimasen." (Excuse me. I don't work here.)
I don't think that was quite the colloquialism because she laughed. "Tabun..." (Maybe) I said. We looked for a while and finally I had to say, "Wakarimasen. Gomen." (I don't think [we're going to do what we set out to do]. Sorry.)
"Arigato. You speak pretty well."
It was my turn to smile. I felt much better.
So I walked out of the office and took the three block walk up to Larry's supermarket to grab a sandwich. As I went in, I walked past two young men with what looked like petition sheets. And as I walked past...
Good grief, but he was beautiful. Definitely somewhere between voting age and drinking age, with a pale face and tousely brown hair held back with a headband, soft brown eyes, and gorgeous lips. He had only a touch of scruff on his chin that was a shade lighter than his hair. He wore an open blue long-sleeve shirt that was a size too big for him over a black tee-shirt that was a size too small. I was so surprised by my reaction that I let him try and talk me into filling out his petition-- something about the Democratic National Commitee-- before I realized that I was already listed for them somewhere and I really, really had to go somewhere and get some air. Anywhere.
I managed to get into the store, ordered a sandwich from the deli, and went looking for drinks. I ran into two women, one clearly older than the other, back in the drinks section, and one was scanning the aisles. They were talking to each other in Japanese, and the older one turned to me and said in halting English, "Excuse me? Talking Rain... do you have?"
In equally halting Japanese I said, "Sumimasen. Koko ni shigoto shimasen." (Excuse me. I don't work here.)
I don't think that was quite the colloquialism because she laughed. "Tabun..." (Maybe) I said. We looked for a while and finally I had to say, "Wakarimasen. Gomen." (I don't think [we're going to do what we set out to do]. Sorry.)
"Arigato. You speak pretty well."
It was my turn to smile. I felt much better.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-27 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-27 05:19 pm (UTC)And I was fortunate. I'd only learned "tabun" recently. If I'd had my wits about me, I'd've remembered a few more lessons.