A droopy dog or a beauty of a small talk.
“I always wonder…”
How would you finish this sentence?
I always wonder how desperate and sad a Russian face can be. Especially in the morning. Especially a man’s face. Have you ever wondered why? But my story is not about whys. It’s about why nots…
When you constantly work online with people all over the world sharing stories and emotions it’s quite hard to get used to Russian poker faces outside… The faces with the biggest mystery on Earth.
Especially the men’s faces. The most sorrowful faces in the world belong to them. Women take it a little bit easier. But men… Man! Oh man…
I see these men every morning: really preoccupied with something serious. Will you ever be able to put your finger on them? What is it really? Where do these faces come from? Why are they so miserable?
Let’s talk about my mornings: the rush hour of a poker face. The typical man in my neighborhood has these 3 attributes: this traditional face I mentioned before, which is a must, an ironed suit and a rubbish bag in his hand. I try not to look at their faces in the morning and never even say “hello”, because I don’t want to get infected with the spirit. So, I either have the same poker face when I’m in the lift or I check my wassup messages to brighten up my day. But you are not in Europe, I can do whatever you want. Noond expects niceness from you.
Funnily, every morning I bump into one man who has these 3 attributes: the face, a suit and a rubbish bag. He has the most depressing face ever. Every time he enters the lift, I feel like a black cat crosses my path. The most devasted look and the most perfect suit. I call him Droopy dog. He really looks like this cartoon character with a gloomy face.
That day was not an caption. He came.
I had a feeling he worked for the government. And I did have another feeling that he had never even thought about me anx where I worked. But I did.so… . Droopy in a suit. With a rubbish bag. Wearing the most perfectly ironed suit.
But today everything changed.
What do you think could have possibly happened?
Can you draw Mr Gloomy? How do you picture him?
Today I was heading home for lunch.
When I was waiting for a lift, a strange voice attacked me with the following:
-Wow! You do have the internet, don’t you?! I’m disconnected from the world.
It was a delivery guy, who apparently couldn’t get the internet on his phone.
The lift came and he couldn’t stop wondering why his is so disconnected. We entered. There was another person in the lift I didn’t pay attention to. The delivery guy asked:
-What operator do you have BELINE or MEGAPHONE?
-Look! — I said with a happy face. It’s not about an operator. Everyone has his luck. Or no luck. I just have mine.
I started laughing for no reason and looked at a man standing in the corner. And wow! Speak of the devil!
It was him! Droopy! I recognized him even without a rubbish bag. And you know what? It was actually the first time I looked into his eyes. The first time within years… He looked at me and broke into a big smile. Really genuine smile… His face looked so kind. I looked at him too. Again. I couldn’t stop wondering…
-Where is my Droopy? – I thought. – Droopy is sad. Droopy is hopeless. Droopy has a rubbish bag. He never smiles. Who is this? It’s not Mr Gloomy…
— Are you going out now? – I asked him.
— No, he said. My station is the 17th floor. As always. – And he smiled again. This time he started to make me feel shy with his honest smile.
The delivery guys left us alone.
He looked so happy and never stopped smiling. I looked him right in the eye and said:
— It turns out you are not …
1. the biggest weirdo with who always carries a rubbish bag?
2. the man with the biggest poker face?
3. a grim reaper?
4. the man with a worst job in the world?
5. the man with the saddest face in the world?
I suddenly said:
— It turned out you are not the man with the saddest face in the world?
— Not really. – He said.
— It’s the first time I see you smile. You don’t really smile. Especially in the mornings. What happens to you? – I said.
— Life happens… — He responded and headed towards the door looking at me again now in a sad way. He wasn’t a stranger anymore… I felt like he was my friend. But it was time to say “good bye”. This is always like that in lifts. He was just about to leave me when I suddenly said:
— What do you do?
He looked at me a bit perplexed and answered…
What do you think he answered?
1. I’m a businessman.
2. I work for a rubbish clearance company.
3. I do a little bit of everything.
4. I’m a housewife.
5. It’s not your business, miss!
6. I’m a secret service agent.
7. I’m a king of rubbish.
— What do you do?
He looked at me and answered with a little pause:
-A little bit of everything.
— I know who you are… You are a civil servant.
He paused again and said:
— And a civil servant too.
— I knew it. Your sad face told me.
He left the life without looking at me.
-Have a good afternoon, — he said officially.
I don’t know why but I felt so good…
Who knows if I will see this man again, but hey! Can we ever underestimate the beauty of a small talk?