Standing on the metro writing, one hand on the safety rail when the train jerks. Some standing freestyle, some half leaning against the door. A babuska in front of me reads with a studied stance, the feet almost in the en garde position of a fencer. Adebtly keeping her balance without the handrail as she must have kept it during more buffeted times. I nearly go flying when there's an an unpredicted jolt. Perhaps that spot tucked in the corner of the door and seats is the ideal one. Her thumb and forefinger are so tensely paused over the page that I wonder if she is reading at all. Perhaps she feels that I'm observing her of perhaps she always feels discomfort in public. I remember moments like that, where my hands were gripping the book but I was scanning the same page again and again without registering anything, too aware of things around me. The page moved and now she has the book completely, gripped against her body like a teddy bear or a seatbelt. A Canon printing paper package covers the book: protection or to hide what is being read. I've often seen the babushka generations with newspaper or magazine covers to their books.
In the other corner, a girl leaning against the seats and holding her grey cloth hat in one hand. Extremely run and slightly grey. I thought there was something bizarre about her eyes, a disease which gave them a white plastic film, but then I realised she is wearing white eyeliner within black just under her eyes. Her style hasa lightness of fabric and flair which is Europeanesque.; fishnets;long cordoruy coat; wan and pale;fishnet tights; governess boots. I think she was cut and pasted here from a Russian translation of Gormenghast.
When a seat is vacated, this girls sits down and sleeps. The 'ethic minority/scapegoat' next to her (the disaffected immigrant herds from Kazakhstan, Uzbekhistan etc that are mercilessly castigated by Russians distinguishable generally by their shortness and darker, Asian skin) turns flagrantly to smile at her. The whole thing gives the affect of a puppet nor automation turning it's wooden head with a n unsettling clockwork smile(unheimlich). Then he smiles at me when he notices me watching him. Contravening the no-smiling-without-a-very-good-reason rule, especially not in public at strangers.
In the other corner, a girl leaning against the seats and holding her grey cloth hat in one hand. Extremely run and slightly grey. I thought there was something bizarre about her eyes, a disease which gave them a white plastic film, but then I realised she is wearing white eyeliner within black just under her eyes. Her style hasa lightness of fabric and flair which is Europeanesque.; fishnets;long cordoruy coat; wan and pale;fishnet tights; governess boots. I think she was cut and pasted here from a Russian translation of Gormenghast.
When a seat is vacated, this girls sits down and sleeps. The 'ethic minority/scapegoat' next to her (the disaffected immigrant herds from Kazakhstan, Uzbekhistan etc that are mercilessly castigated by Russians distinguishable generally by their shortness and darker, Asian skin) turns flagrantly to smile at her. The whole thing gives the affect of a puppet nor automation turning it's wooden head with a n unsettling clockwork smile(unheimlich). Then he smiles at me when he notices me watching him. Contravening the no-smiling-without-a-very-good-reason rule, especially not in public at strangers.
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