In this cafe

In this cafe, in this little shop -- it's actually a donut shop -- there are many kinds of girls. There are girls who hold a pen in their right hand, doing homework apparently, while holding a mobile phone in their left, tapping out email. There are girls who laugh feverishly, making a sound as if they were hyperventilating. There are girls with leather Louis Vuitton bags. There's one, just over there, who has a white mobile phone opened on the table in front of her, and another blue one in her hand. She's clicking the buttons with concentration that would drive a Theraveda monk to jealousy. The lady she's with, across the table from her, has a green mobile phone and she is also tapping out email, apparently. They aren't talking to each other. There is a girl with dyed-brown hair -- it's a peculiar shade of brown... what is it? almost the color of a good Thai red curry -- and she's in love, apparently. She's holding hands with the guy next to her. She's staring into his... cheek. From about eight inches away. (I'd like to say she's staring into his eyes -- that would make a better story -- but alas, she's not. It's his cheek.) She has an almost ill look, in her face, in her eyes. It's difficult to say from this far away, but it appears she has a slight cast in her left eye. The guy, he's not looking at her. He's looking down into the table. He, too, appears to be ill.

Hmmm... but this isn't fair, is it? Let's have a look at the guy sitting over against the window, by himself. He's not from around here, apparently. His hair is thinning. He's writing in a little notebook, frantically, using a much too long pencil. He, too, has admirable concentration, although he's not as good as the girl with the two cell phones. I say this because he looks up from time to time, quickly scans the room until his eyes come to rest on a girl -- it seems to always be a girl, even though there are an equal number of guys. He regards the girl for a moment, smiles slightly, and then bends his head over the notebook again and begins his frantic writing again.