what would they have thought 100 years ago?

Two young boys standing on a station platform. One of the boys is holding a slim rectangular object the size of a playing card, that he keeps on tapping with the tips of his fingers. There's a wire coming out of it, which splits into two in its middle. One of the ends disappears into the right ear of one of the boys. The other vanishes into the second boy's left ear. Both boys are moving their head rhythmically to and fro.

everything under control

A woman with many a year inside her was sitting on a terrace in town. Ample parts of her tired body were jutting out of a mini-skirt and a tight t-shirt. Black boots appeared from under the table, on the end of her bare, wrinkle-tanned legs. Thick black lines circled her eyes and a small red felt hat with black netting had been poised on the crown of her head.

She was reading a book but seemed preoccupied about something and kept looking at her watch, tutting and muttering: "The cat has already been given something to eat."

no i don't have any important meetings

A jet black Polo had been tailing my car for 50 metres and I could see its driver making very obvious signs of impatience, even more so when I turned into the car park where he was going too. For he would have to tail me a little longer. I parked. So did he. And, despite my sluggishness and his hurried pace, we both arrived on the platform with a little time to spare.

He came up to me and asked if I had been the one driving the car in front of him. I said to him yes, it was me and I hated people who stuck to my arse, as they say in French. To which he answered that he had a very important meeting, time was short, he hadn't even had time to put his watch on, look, it's here in my bag still, why was I driving under the speed limit, perhaps I didn't work but he did, and he could bet I was a civil servant or something. I said no, no I'm not. I'm a science writer. "Oh all the same you people", says he. "Free lancers. All the time in the world."

you don't know your luck

Three young boys walking together to the football pitch with their gear in backpacks flung over their shoulders, chatting away to one another, unconcerned by what is going on around them as they give lazy thoughtless kicks to stones on their path. In front of them, slowing their pace, a herd of cows moving in the same direction, on the way to the farm to be milked.

nothing to lose

He scuffled across the busy street, dragging his long, lanky body to wherever it took him. Head hanging, eyelids heavy, thoughts numbed with drugs. Protected by something outside his power which made the bus swerve away from his path.

the way the stories start

...




...on the back of a train ticket more often than not

a difficult morning

- A coffee please.
- And with that ?
- Some sleep...