An actual conversation witnessed by my sister when she was in the Dubai Metro on her way to work. As is usual during the time, the metro was quite packed and a woman who was sitting in one of the seats looked at the woman standing next to her and offered her, her seat.
Lady 1: “You can have my seat, please sit”.
Lady 2: “No, it’s fine, but thank you.”
Lady 1: “No, I insist, please take my seat, I’m getting off soon anyway.”
Lady 2, quite charmed, thanks her and proceeds to sit down.
Lady 2: “Are you getting down at the next station?”
Lady 1 tells her she’s getting off at the 5th or the 6th station from there.
Lady 2: “Oh, I thought you would be getting off soon. You needn’t have offered me your seat!”
Lady 1: “Come on now, how can I sit while you’re standing up. How far along are you?”
Lady 2: “Far along? I don’t understand.”
Lady 1: “…Your pregnancy of course. I gathered so from your belly.”
Long awkward pause.
Lady 2: “..No, I’m not..pregnant.”
Now if I were Lady 1, now is the moment I would have mumbled a sincere apology – “..sorry I thought your fat was your baby..?” and waited for the train floor to open up and the metro rails to swallow me up whole but no, Lady 1 keeps talking.
Lady 1: “Oh, but your tummy..it was looking quite big and pregnant-y, so I assumed you know, hehe, that umm.. you were carrying.”
Lady 2: “No no, it’s fine. I suppose it does look that way.”
Lady 1: “Yeah, how does it look so pregnant-like..”
Talk about a derailed conversation.
Almost like Lady 2 had some sort of (loco)motive.
OK, I’ll stop before I get way off track here. Trains of thought, anybody?
Happy (and not awkward, I hope) Monday!
Screams & Muses 