It is a cosy little place.
A truly family operated Restaurant cum
Coffe-Shop and Sweet Bakery.
We sit at a table in a little alcove,
having finished a delicious small dinner, amidst an intense
discussion regarding the confused and confusing political situation
in the country, when the door opens and a young couple enters.
Both blond and curly haired, he has a
sharpely chisseled face while his female companion is more round
faced.
A lovely couple.
They select a table just across from us
and sit down.
Out come two i-phones.
He places his on the table in front,
slightly off to the right and commences tapping swiftly on the
miniature key board.
She holds hers in both hands, operating
it with both thumbs.
So far, not a word is spoken.
The waitress comes and, without looking
at the menu, they place their orders.
More tapping on keyboards.
“Fridatten soup” is served.
He shifts his i-phone to the left of
his plate, continues manipulating the keyboard, while, at the same
time, spooning soup from plate to mouth.
Silence reigns.
She puts down the phone, takes two
spoons of soup, puts down the spoon, operates the phone.
Puts down the phone, uses the spoon.
Puts down the spoon, operates the
phone.
His method is far more efficient.
His left hand is on the phone,
his right manouvres the spoon from
plate to mouth.
Long strings of “fridatten” tangle
from spoon and mouth.
Silence.
We too have stopped talking, observing
a modern relationship.
I am embarrassed, having been caught
staring, as she raises her eyes from phone-soup,
catching me, watching them.
With a smirk of disdain she returns to
spoon/phone, phone/spoon...
He ignores the silent communication
between me and his partner.
Left hand – phone,
right hand – spoon.
Not a word spoken
Silence!
Christin whispers: “The leader of the
Opposition is a jerk”
I reply: “so is the leader of the
ruling Party. Their TV discussion last night was a disgrace.”
They would have done better having a
plate of “Fridatten soup” each, keeping their mouths shut.
Just like the two young people across
from us.
Those who talk during the TV debate
and those who eat soup and operate
their phones at the same time
have little or nothing to say to each
other.
That's what
Bertstravels thinks, anyway.
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