"On the bus going home I heard a most fascinating conversation between an old man and woman. "What a thing, though," the old woman said. "You'd hardly credit it." "She's always made a fuss of the whole family, but never me," the old man said. "Does she have a fire when the young people go to see her?" "Fire?" "She won't get people seeing her without warmth." "I know why she's doing it. Don't think I don't," the old man said. "My sister she said to me, 'I wish I had your easy life.' Now that upset me. I was upset by the way she phrased herself. 'Don't talk to me like that,' I said. 'I've only got to get on the phone and ring a certain number,' I said, 'to have you stopped.'" "Yes," the old woman said, "And you can, can't you?" "Were they always the same?" she said. "When you was a child? Can you throw yourself back? How was they years ago?" "The same," the old man said. "Wicked, isn't it?" the old woman said. "Take care, now" she said, as the old man left her. He didn't say a word but got off the bus looking disgruntled."
React to this quote
More by Joe Orton
See allResonant Thoughts
"The questioner wants to know why, after these many years of watching, he hasn't found the deep waters. Why should he find them? Do you understand? You think that by watching your own thoughts you are …"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"Geometric Solutions of Quadratic and Cubic Equations" by David W. Henderson"
— Omar Khayyám"As parents, we can do a great deal to further this goal by helping our children develop alternative ways of…"
— Betty Edwards"David Fricke: Given your own history of substance abuse, what have you said to your children about drugs an…"
— Ozzy Osbourne"Irving Langmuir a great physical Chemist"; Resonance"
— Irving Langmuir"Last week I got a flu that I caught, 'cause my daughter coughed … into my mouth."
— Louis C.K."I woke up this morning to a garbage truckLooks like this ol' horseshoe's done run out of luckIf I came home…"
— John Prine
