Night thoughts

My mind wanders at night. My mind wanders during the day as well, but at night it really takes off. I have done a fair bit of night walking during the past couple of weeks. I have spent a lot of time down Madrid's empty streets, flooded in that orange city lamp light that I have come to love so much. This town was made to be savored after dark. During the day it is like any other European city, but at night... it is something else altogether. Especially late at night.

A few days ago, as I was walking home around 3 AM, I passed a girl who was walking in the opposite direction. She did that thing that girls do when they are trying to act like they are not nervous, puffing herself up, chin in the air, though avoiding eye contact and picking up her pace as we met. I felt sorry for the human race then. What would it be to live in a world without fear? A world of perfect intentions? Imagine being able to walk down dark city streets without an inkling of temerity. How many times have I thought of just taking a nap in the park, or lying on a bench and watching the sky all night without the concern that I will be pick-pocketed or worse? Imagine a world where we wouldn't have to fear each other; how many things which now make people uncomfortable, like dark city streets, could suddenly be enjoyed openly?

It took me a few tries to find which night bus I can take to get me home from the center of town since during the week the subways close at night. I have found two routes which work. One of them goes to Ciudad Pegaso. I don't really know where that is, since my stop is way before the final destination, but I like the name. Pegasus City. I couldn't keep myself from picturing what such a place must be like. Some sort of enchanted valley with horses taking to the skies on giant wings. Alas, I think the reality is much less glamorous, but I enjoyed toying with the idea.

I was on a different bus the other night when two very drunk girls got on with two of their gay friends. The gay guys, slightly embarrassed about the girls' loud tones, sat towards the back of the bus, while the ladies sat at the front. However, from time to time, the guys would goad the one of the most inebriated of the ladies, "show us your nipple ring!" The girl stood up and said "no! I only showed it to you guys because you are gay. I'm not showing it to the rest of the bus. They aren't gay." Then she peered back and the people on the bus, squinting through her blurry eyes and said "well... ok, there is one more gay guy." I admit that I turned around, along with the rest of the passengers, to see if we could tell who she was talking about.