A BUSTY MAIDEN

This is one of he loveliest scenes I have observed in a long time.

As I stood on the busy tube platform, a noisy group of men caught my attention. As one of them repeatedly enquired as to whether they would get home before the pizza, I realised that the group was made up of adults with learning difficulties and their carers.

When the tube pulled into the station, people stepped aside to let the young man with Downs Syndrome and his carer board first. The young man, Harry, dived into the only empty seat. The rest of us squeezed into the aisle and around the door. Harry called down the carriage to the group.

“Dave, come over here. Come on.” Dave was the man concerned about the timing of the pizza delivery. Dave couldn’t move but, curious to see what Harry wanted, stood on tip-toes to peer down the aisle.

“I don’t believe it! Harry’s sitting between two busty maidens,” Dave cried out, before quickly adding. “No, that’s not right. There’s only one. The other’s a man.”

At the next stop, the crowd thinned and I had a clear view of ‘lucky’ Harry and his fellow maiden. She was a kind, gentled faced woman, smiling and chatting as the two of them played a game on her phone. Harry’s carer stood over them, observing but not getting involved. After a couple of minutes, Harry closed his eyes and rested his head onto the woman’s shoulder. The woman smiled at the carer and Harry was left in peace to enjoy the moment.

At the next stop, Harry sprung back into action and again called to Dave, whose attention had returned to pizza’s. As Dave looked over, Harry nodded his head towards the woman, gave a thumbs up and grinned broadly.

“I don’t believe it,” said Dave. “He’s scored. Again.”