No weirdos

Yesterday The Man and I went into Osaka. While we were on the train a young woman, who looked completely normal, suddenly laughed and made a strange wailing noise. At first I tried to convince The Man that it was not yet another weirdo, it was just that child in the pram over there, see? It's just a kid. It's perfectly normal.

But then the woman did it again, and The Man grinned and said,

"See? It's because of you."

I thought about it for a moment.

"But it mostly happens to me when I'm with you," I pointed out. "That means it's because of you as well."

"Really?" he said, doubtfully.

"Really," I replied firmly.

-----

Today I went to the supermarket by myself. As I cycled along I thought about what I'd said, and decided that today I would check my assertion. Would I see any weirdos on my grocery trip?

I didn't see any weirdos on the way there. In the supermarket as I went round the aisles I didn't see any either. When I'd finished, I chose, naturally, the checkout with the shortest line. There was only one elderly woman ahead of me.

Ten minutes later I was still in the shortest line, but it was also the only line that wasn't moving. The woman ahead of me was having a terrible time counting out her money. She had her nose almost inside her wallet, and was counting out coins one by one, taking some back, adding more, dropping some, putting them back in her wallet, checking what she'd given, taking some back, adding some more, asking again how much it was, dropping her wallet, picking it up, looking for dropped coins, taking all her coins back, counting some out again, asking the price, checking what she'd already given, taking some back, adding some more, dropping some...

This went on and on. I watched, fascinated. Then I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be looking out for weirdos.

I decided the woman in front of me didn't count. She was just old, and having a little trouble with money. Well, oldish, anyway. (I will admit to being a little surprised when I saw her face and saw how old she wasn't - but she wasn't young, either.) It could happen to anybody, right? Money is tricky. I'm not counting her.

I only encounter weirdos when I am with The Man.