Micro-fiction #02

It’s too cold to sweat and you know it. The fact is, you are not even feeling guilty in any sense. Your friends have done it and got away with it. Some of them have done it their entire lives and their excuse to assure you is that it does not take one person to bring down a prosperous economy. Hardly anybody will bother, they are too engrossed in their reading, or some may have their eyes closed. So what if you’re being noticed? Don’t think too much about curious stares. Maybe they’re checking you out for other reasons. Worry about the scary people your friends warn you about, the flashes of green. You’re just three stops away from your destination and you have always been lucky, so why not give it a shot?

The trick is to get up the tram and find a good spot, somewhere in the middle, somewhere, not very noticeable and pretend to be normal. Check the time. Keep your belongings close to you at all times. Stay near the exits if you can. That’s right. In less than five minutes you will get to where you want and you don’t have to hurt anyone.

But darn!

The scary people gets up from the second stop and navigate their way through the busy mob in lightning speed. You recognize them instantly for donning the lime-green vests over their suits, and the man with the cowboy hat seems to be coming for you. You know they’re never friendly, and you have to get away fast. The tram won’t get moving too soon. You remember your friends’ advice to take caution when this happened to them. “Remember not to look too alarmed, they notice such things!”

Now act casual. Move away from your seat and pretend you’ve discovered your stop. Frown and mutter some words as if you’re angry and putting the blame on someone or some device or the prompter that almost made you miss your stop. Never, never look back. If you’re lucky you can hop onto another free ride in no time. Worst-case scenario: The hand grabs you at the back of your shoulder.

“Ticket please.”