A Stray Memory

[poliphilo]

This happened in the early 70s.

My first wife and I were sitting after dark on London's South Bank, looking at the pretty river, and  this crazy, homeless guy latched onto us and treated us to a rant about how the blacks (I don't suppose that was the word he used) were coming over and taking all our jobs and how he'd send 'em  home at gunpoint.

And we were smiling frostily and wishing he'd go away.

And then-  because he thought we were homeless too-  he offered to share his sandwiches with us.

It wasn't at all what I expected.