I bent down to pick up a pearl-like bead I’d seen on the ground. Then saw there were a few more – I picked these up too. Then I looked up and saw they continued for quite a way down the road – it was a slightly downwards sloping road, the beads must have dropped and rolled.
Someone stopped and started picking them up for me. I said ‘thanks’ but explained that they weren’t mine and it wasn’t necessary to pick them up. He didn’t hear me. By now the woman with him had started helping too. Someone else stopped and asked what we were looking for. The first man pointed out the beads. The second man started helping too. I’m still trying to explain that they’re not mine and there’s no need to pick them up….
A group of five men walking past ask what we’re doing. The second man explains, two of the five new men stop and pick some up too. It’s all become quite comical by this stage and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves immensely.
I end up with a handful of 57 beads picked up for me by 5 strangers on a street in London.
In this busy city where, usually, we’re all busy pretending we can’t see one another, generally avoiding contact, this seemed a little moment of magic.
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