At the tram stop I was approached by a poshly talking young man in a smart suit. “A man without a woman,” he asked, “is that complete?” It was early days, the last thing I felt like discussing the decline of conservative values with a Forum-like type, so I was relieved that he answered himself. ‘No!’ it sounded decidedly. ‘And a woman without a husband? No, that’s never complete.’
Perhaps the older lady who was also at the stop was more empathetic than I was, perhaps she was more likely to notice that the young man had buttoned his expensive shirt incorrectly, that his crest was unkempt, his smart jacket stained with stains, and the look in his eyes was dull and feral. In any case, she inquired in a motherly tone, “Did your girlfriend break up with you?”
‘No!’ shouted the boy, as if bitten by a viper. Then his face crumpled and trickling tears gave the real answer.