When Michael entered the bus, he found himself in the midst of a very tense situation. Near one of the rear doors stood a drunk man, who was persistently directing his attention to a middle-aged gypsy woman. He was convinced that the woman must know how to tell fortunes, and even insisted on it with undisguised irritation in his voice.
— You all do that! — he nodded at the gypsy woman, waving a twenty-dollar bill. — I’ll even pay you twenty bucks! The gypsy woman, dressed in a bright skirt and with a colorful scarf on her head, stood calmly, not giving in to the provocations. She repeated several times quietly but firmly.
She does not engage in fortune-telling, and that these are just stereotypes that have no basis. Michael observed what was happening, feeling very mixed emotions. On one hand, he felt sorry for the gypsy woman, who was being unfairly harassed, and on the other, he felt irritation from the drunk man’s unfounded assertions.
The bus continued its movement, and the tension between the two passengers still hung in the air, thereby creating a sense of an impending inevitable conflict. That morning the bus was full of passengers, each of whom was absorbed in their own thoughts and affairs. The gypsy woman’s endurance and her calmness inspired respect.
Unlike other passengers, she maintained composure, even when this conflict began in the cabin. The drunk man was nervous and indignant, which caused discomfort to the others. Waving his fists, he scared other passengers, and no one dared even approach him.
The situation escalated when the intoxicated passenger, not getting what he wanted, began offering the gypsy woman various indecencies. This was already too much for Michael, although he was noticeably smaller in size than the troublemaker, he had enough courage to stand up for the woman. A verbal altercation began between the men, which soon turned into a physical scuffle.
The situation worsened with every minute, but fortunately, the bus driver came to the rescue. He intervened and warned that he would call the police if the man did not calm down. This really worked, and the troublemaker finally quieted down.