The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
The Biblio-Commuter
The man’s briefcase lies across his legs like a desk and he rests his elbows on it. The U-Bahn stops, but he does not. He inhales, sits up straight, leans in to read the final page of a massive book. At the conclusion, he smiles to himself with delight and closes the copy. He holds the front and back covers in his palms for a moment–a prayer of gratitude.
Then eagerly, but cautiously, he unclicks the latches of his case. He slides the completed book in and removes a green hardback still encased in cellophane. Without breaking his gaze from the new book, he uncovers it, crumpling the wrapper and sliding it as quietly as possible into the briefcase. He readies his desk and brushes the new book’s cover. Still several stops from home, he prepares for the first scene.
–Vienna, Austria.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
Now THERE’s a genuine reader, eh, Paige …? A joy to see.
Yes, I feel his love for books!! Of course he had to stand out for me. 🙂
Paige
Lovely observation, Paige – I can picture the scene 🙂
Thank you, Sue! I loved his peace in the midst of the busy space. Great focus! 🙂
Paige
Comes in handy at times, being able to focus so completely….
Glory, I wish I had that gift. I can manage relatively well when I’m reading, but sometimes people seem bound and determined to be loud around a reader. I notice that in airports a lot. People sit next to a reader and feel a deep desire to make a cell phone call. 🙂
Paige
A loud one, too! 😦