Lisa and the bifocal man stand up. He’s pulled the suitcase from under the seat, and they are both staring at me. He’s tucked his newspaper underneath his arm and is stroking it as if it is some kind of animal. She is still smoothing his tie. His face is getting redder and redder. He’s managed to gain some control over his eyes so they are now almost symmetrical. One of them is focused on my eyes and the other focuses somewhere near one of my eyebrows. I don’t know what is going on.
“Honestly, this is all just a misunderstanding,” I say, raising my hands in a pleading way.
“So, you’re a thief as well as a pervert,” the man hisses, spitting some more at me.
“A thief?”
“Trying to take my glasses! Wanting to take my wife!”
“I was just looking at the newspaper.”
“That’s a damn lie. I was watching you the whole time,” he screams.
Lisa puts both hands around his arm and tries to pull him away. People further down the train have stood up and are watching. Some of them are laughing and some are just staring and shaking their heads.
I remain sitting and look up at them both. Lisa is taller than him, and his head only reaches her chin. She has one hand on his shoulders, holding it tight.
Lisa looks around at the staring people and blushes. I think again how pretty she is.