Thursday, April 14, 2005

Conversations Overheard at Dumbarton Oaks

As I was wandering through the cherry blossoms (barefoot with dandelions in my hair), I heard a man's voice talking about something. Suddenly he exlaimed, "No touching!" Then, more quietly, he kept on talking about whatever it was. Again, "Absolutely no touching!" When I got closer I saw that he and a woman (probably his wife) were both stretched out on their backs on their grass, and he was talking to another man sitting nearby. His wife, an arm's length away, was reaching out and poking him in the stomach with a silly grin on her face. "No touching! No touching!! No - Oh. Hi." He'd looked up to notice me watching them with a smirk. Then his wife reached out for one more poke. I burst out laughing. Then some other bystanders, also sitting in the cherry blossoms, who'd noticed the interaction, started laughing as well. A group of strangers, guffawing in the grass.

******************************************

A couple walking past.
MAN: (says something irrelevant)
WOMAN: By the way, did you notice how fast I got ready this morning?
MAN (amused): Yes, I noticed.
WOMAN: I just wanted to make sure -
MAN (even more amused): I understand.

******************************************

ME, on the phone with a friend: Holy smoke, this is ridiculous! The sun is shining, the flowers are blossoming, the birds are singing, butterflies are flapping past, and happy little kids are playing in the grass. It's like the Garden of Eden here, dude!

A couple sits down next to me on the bench.


WOMAN: Sorry to disturb your solitude!
ME: No problem.
MAN (reaches over to shake my hand): Allow me to introduce us. I'm Adam, and this is Eve.
ME: Nice to meet - NO WAY!
The man and woman laugh.
ME: Wait, are those really your names?
WOMAN: No, we overheard you on the phone.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home