Frizz

It's late Saturday evening and I'm on the train again. In the seats across the aisle from me are a Middle Eastern family; mother, father, beautiful young daughter and grandmother. Facing me, are a couple of guys. Over on the seats diagonally across from me are four white thirty something's. From this party I can see and hear one woman clearly and she's talking about work, then she lowers her voice and says "they're Jewish, they all got off early, they make such a fuss" then she lowers her voice even more and says "I really don't like Jewish people" she continues on in this vein, about how much she has to work and dismisses her friends suggestion that her Jewish colleagues will work over Christmas… I really can't believe what I'm hearing – I stare at her… she has a clear view of me, but she manages to avoid eye contact. My mind whizzes with what I could or should do. Then the young girl sitting across from me wraps a scarf around her head like a turban (she's about 12) and the family are all laughing and I look over and laugh with them and they make eye contact and we all laugh together.