It didn’t matter that the language was German. The body language accompanied by the noise made it clear. Imagine: on the bus, 4 persons, 2 couples. One couple is seated side by side. the other couple is split over 2 double seats, in this case the wife behind the husband, but in front of their travelling companion couple [TCC]. She, the singular wife is making all the conversation for the four. Age? Middle, meaning most likely just past retirement. Dressed in that upper middle class way only the Northern Europeans can do, including the hair. She has the map out and is actively determined to get everyone on the same page. TCC is there, no resistance from them, no argument, no other suggestions, but husband of 43 years has a 41 year old habit of objections to aire. She gets testy, he gets belligerent, she speaks with more determination. He gets madder so, she turns to TCC for support. None was offered so she reverts into what must be decades of habitual response. I wondered if one of them was going to toss the other out the closed windows. It wasn’t the raised voices as much as the hot and angry energy coming from their seating area. TCC seemed to shrink and grow smaller in their chairs. Unfortunately for me, my stop came prior to theirs, so I don’t know how it ended. Emotions can be the same the world over.
