Friday, September 15, 2006

Costumes, drunk and rite of passage.

1. The whimsical hats, asymetrical buttonings and strange lop-sided hoopskirts worn by the chorus in Wicked.

2. A drunken man in a suit weaving and stumbling about the station. He lurched across as if to speak to the driver of a train waiting at the other platform. Then his legs seemed to collapse, but the beer gods kept him upright until he reached a bench, where he sat with his head in his hands. The people sitting in front of us were watching, too. 'He's going to be sick.' 'Is he going to be sick?' 'Don't look at him, poor guy.' As the train pulled out, he was looking at his phone as if he wasn't quite sure what it would do.

3. Drunken kids tumbled on to the train at Sevenoaks. 'Where's Harry, where's Harry?' Harry was standing at the other end of the carriage with another blonde 18-year-old. I thought he might have been embarrassed by the loudness of his rabble. He waved at them. When we got to Tonbridge, we heard the big group whispering: 'Let's sing Happy Birthday to Harry as we get off.' They trooped away down the platform and broke into bellowed song. Everyone turned to look, and one man left his seat to smile indulgently at them through the door. Lucky Harry.

Box of books, lighter coat and child asleep.

1. There is a heavy box of new books waiting on the stairs. 2.  There's a warmth to the air that makes me wonder if I should have put on...