The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Tram Nap
The Kabataş tram sighs through an intersection and a boy stops short to let it pass. He waits with some annoyance, until he discovers something in the last car. A man in a button-up shirt, briefcase in his lap, slumps against the window, snoozing. The boy’s eyes flash. As the car rolls by, he pounces. He slaps the glass of the window, spinning quickly to see the reaction of the man he’s awakened, the man jolting upright and trying to place himself.
In the next seat, a reverently-old man laughs, pats his groggy neighbor’s shoulder, permitting the other passengers to trade glances with quiet delight. A pair of twin girls giggle into their mother’s long skirt. Then the tram picks up speed and the riders return to their reveries, still wearing fractions of smiles.
-Istanbul, Turkey.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
I hope you continue to write, and write and write. I love reading what you’ve written because it’s like looking through a window into a moment on the other side of the world. I can easily see and feel along with each character. It’s great! Go Paige go!
Thanks so much, Natalie! I’ll keep finding these little stories from my travels. I heard a speaker the other day say how he and his wife were blessed to get to go to Europe last year. It made me realize I may have been taking my opportunities for granted. I’ve been lucky to see such lovely things, so I will keep trying to share them. Thanks for reading!
pmj
Reblogged this on thenicethingaboutstrangers and commented:
My computer is going into the shop today. Pardon the re-post, but not too terribly many people read this story the first time around. May it make you feisty today!
Wonderfully written as usual – I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award- http://somethingswedish.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/versatile-blog-award/
Thanks so much! It’s that Swedish connection we’ve got, I think… 🙂