It's wicked to mock the afflicted

There I sat on the train down to London to find a flat for the next two years. In front of me there was a little girl and her father. Behind me an old Yorkshire man sat beside his middle aged daughter. The father entertained the little girl with a portable DVD player and children’s shows. Occasionally she would get excited by the programme she was watching and shout or sing. Her father would kindly admonish her and her tone would lower back to her inside voice. At one point, she shouted with the glee only a child can muster, “I want to fly like a fish. I will have beautiful wings!” At the time my mind was occupied on my own desires. My biggest want was that I could find something a little better than the dingy student studio flats that were in my price range. How very dull do are dreams become.

I did find a very nice one bedroom flat in an amazing part of London. Yesterday, I was in the park surrounded by red deer looking at the London skyline. So, I can only wish that the little girl from the train also has her wish fulfilled, and she can fly like a fish on her beautiful wings.

The old man was also entertaining. He was a garrulous little man, and the shrinking and wrinkling of age had made him adorable. The whole train car smiled when his thick Yorkshire brogue was heard. Two things he said stand out most.

After a couple gave them their seat which was closest to the exit and easy for him to toddle into, he said, “The world is full of good people and I’ve just met two more.”

Talking to the little girl, he said, “It’s all right for you, I don’t have a big daddy to look after me.” I’m not sure what they were talking about, but I understand the advantage of big daddies.