A tiny bit of sweetness

One of those 'oasis' moments that happen all too rarely, but perhaps are the sweeter for their scarcity, on the way to work at lunchtime. I wouldn't even have been on the tube, had one of London Overground's routes not been unexpectedly closed by an infrastructure fault, but there I was, on one of the oldest trains the underground has to offer, sitting in one of a bay of four seats, with rather limited legroom. So when, a few stations after I'd boarded, a mother and her small son got on the train, he was parked opposite me and my long legs. He smiled a little in my direction when he sat down, and I responded in kind, albeit surreptitiously - mum was sour-faced enough, without her being led to believe I had designs on the boy (which I absolutely wouldn't have, even if I hadn't been on a busy tube train - he was far too young, only 6 or 7, and, with all due respect to the little guy, not that cute anyway) - so I averted my eyes, as far as is practicable when someone is sitting about four feet away. When it was time for me to change trains, though, 'the moment' took place. I reached down to pick up my backpack, which was between my feet, but as I lifted it, the boy let his feet ride up with it, smirking mischievously. I couldn't help but grin, and say 'thank you' to him when he pulled his feet back to release my bag, disapproving mother or not. And then, of course, he was gone forever, another little metropolitan ghost. But one who left that little taste of sweetness in my benighted life.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B