Girl In The Welfare Office

In the welfare office the queue moves forward intermittently, a human's width at a time. It is the man's turn at the counter. His nails are dirty and purple and black bruises are visible upon his legs. Resting both hands on the counter, he leans forward slightly, and with scant expression on his face, begins his explanation. A girl is standing on the other side of the counter. She is smiling into his eyes. When she is to write, she first tucks her thick red hair behind her ear with her pen-hand, then bends her head across the form and tilts it slightly to one side. She makes mistakes sometimes and looks up into the face of the man with a good-natured laugh. Her nails are painted to decorate and her legs are waxed. When the explanation is over she puts her little finger between her teeth, thinks for a moment, cries "Ah!" and after patting the arm of the man comfortingly, rushes away into a room behind her. She is gone for a long time. The man becomes self-conscious - the queue behind him is getting restless. Welfare clients lean sideways from the queue, stand on tip-toe, and peer to find the nature of the hold-up. He rolls a cigarette on the counter, lights it, drags in a mouthful of smoke, then, pinching the cigarette between thumb and forefinger, takes it from his mouth and spits slightly. The girl re-enters the office, skipping, and waving a form above her head. She apologises, lays the form down before the man, tilts her head and smiles at him. He bends over it. After a while he shakes his head and brings her attention to something he has found in the wording. She picks up the paper and studying it, shakes her head also, giggles a little then turns to go but is restrained by the man's hand on her shoulder. She smiles at him. Wishing to sort this out once and for all, he asks her a question: "I don't understand the nature of you. You seem somewhat (how shall I say?) ineffective. What is the problem between us in this official interaction in this official-looking office?" Her eyes sparkle with anticipation as she jumps and rushes to get out her explanation in which she eagerly tells him that she simply wants to enjoy herself; that she has been like this since a child; that this mundane work in this bleak building (he can see that, can't he?) is such a nuisance to her and throws up difficulties in this pursuit, almost by the minute! The man looks into her sparkling eyes. He says with no hesitation: "I'm so very sorry but I don't want to help you with your problem." At which, she holds up her palms as if surrendering to an enemy, reassures him, smooths down any embarrassment he might feel, and tells him that she quite understands his approach to her. Then she asks: "Now about you! What is your problem? Ah! silly me for I know already don't I. Of course I do. I have it written here in front of me on these forms." They look at each other, the man and the girl, then clasp one another's hands warmly across the counter, and agree to part along their separate and quite different ways.