I was on the train to work, which was on time for once, half-intently reading the free paper and occasionally looking up and around at the mix of commuters and holiday-makers that travel on this train (it finishes up at Gatwick Airport). Sat diagonally across from me was a tanned mid-30's man in white shirt and black trousers, the top button of the shirt open to try and offer some cooling on this horrifically humid morning. His eyes were set intently on one of those electronic reader things held in his right hand.
Just as I was about to read some story or another (which would never have a chance of getting printed but for the fact it involved a pretty, young female) a loud, rapid sneeze cut through the soft atmosphere of chatter 'Htushoo!'. The man was half-way into the following release by the time my gaze caught him. His eyes most of the way to closed, left hand clasped tightly across his mouth and nose with the thumb resting on the side of his nose. He shuddered forward as the second explosion forced its way out of him 'Htushoo!'. They were both rapid, almost rushed sneezes, like the syllables had all be run together into one string of relief.
At that point I made the decision to write about him, which meant my full attention was trained on what followed. His hand slowly, almost experimentally, left his face like he was expecting more sneezes but they just wouldn't arrive. His eyes flicked back to reading. Not more than a few seconds went by before his features suddenly collapsed in on themselves once more, eyes squeezed shut, the extensive forehead exposed by his receeding hairline crumpled and another sneeze tumbled out. His hand desperately tried to cover once more but without success 'HUHTSHOO!'. The unhindered outburst drew a couple of unimpressed looks from his fellow passengers but nothing was said (as is the British way
) and then at the next station he was away and gone.
Glad you liked it