“Why don’t you have oat milk?” The mother looks disturbed at her young adolescent. I am sitting in a cafe next to a table where a family has just settled down. The boy is silently absorbed in his phone. “Will you put the phone down for a second?” she tries. Father now also comes to the table: “I ordered the cake of the day.” The woman looks up. “What cake is that?” There is another silence. “No idea.” “Well!” says the woman. She looks at her husband uncomprehendingly. “Maybe there is meat in it,” sounds from behind the mobile phone.
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A version of this article also appeared in the May 1, 2023 issue.