AN ‘EAVESDROPPING’ IN PARIS !!! -[ Daily prompt ,daily post]

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/head-turners/

I am not usually the kind of person who ‘eavesdrops’ on other people or pry into their personal  affairs .  Well , that is , unless , you are sitting or standing ,for that matter , so close in proximity to my location that my auditory cortex finds it humanly impossible to ignore such high decibel levels …..and… I give in…( okk…I eavesdrop ,or the word  ‘overhear’ ,will perhaps, better  describe such an event ! )

Travelling to other countries , provides one of the best opportunities to ..ummm..well….‘overhear‘  conversations , you are obviously not expected to be a part of !

I have had the good fortune to do both !

On one,  of the many metro rail journeys  , we undertook ,while on our sightseeing tour in Paris , many years ago , I happened to be seated next to an elderly woman.  ( I couldn’t discern much as to the country she belonged to ,though my hunch is that she was probably an American ..) As I sat there , the only Indian ,(apart from my husband who was standing somewhere  far behind ), I tried to observe the diverse cultures represented inside that single compartment ,of the train ……..I was amazed …

It was only then, that my eyes  focussed on  another  lady standing, next to the one sitting besides me..They looked a lot alike , except that this lady seemed a little more cheerful in disposition and of course , several years younger to the former …In any case , to me they looked like sisters…

As the train glided through the tracks , all of a sudden , a loud chattering  reached my ears…It was this younger woman conversing…..

It took me another few seconds to realize that the lady was pointing in my direction …and still more , to  conclude that ‘I was the topic of discussion !!!’ I  pricked up my ears  ……

The lady, had apparently misjudged my grasp  over the ‘English’ language  , for she made no attempts to lower her volume ,or try to speak in hushed tones ……….( obviously confident of my incompetence  ! )

Here is what she said ( her voice loud and clear ! )  : ”I thought I was the one ,who wore big earrings…Somebody to your left is wearing even bigger ones !!!”  She told , her friend( or sister ), with a mocking smile !

Listening to her conversation, my immediate urge was to touch my earring , to try and sort of measure it (to see if it was actually bigger than hers !!! ) , but on second thoughts I refrained from doing so…….

I wanted to save our lady  some embarrassment ,  just in case she were to realize  that not only did I understand English , but could speak in  it too…….So , I kept my hands down , and pretended to look in the other direction , as though I didn’t comprehend a word  that she  had uttered ……..and let her have her ‘fun’ moment !!!

But my heart was still  fluttering like a trapped bird , as I smiled to myself , at the thought of having managed to  arouse such interest , in the mind of a complete stranger , in a completely  strange land !!!