For you to play A vous de jouer

Entering the Toulouse train station my goal was to buy sandwiches and to take pictures in the photomat for my Russian visa before our train left for Geneva. Rick had done his when we'd arrived.

We heard beautiful piano playing and we saw an older man in a beige suit. He was bald. A crowd each holding onto their different-coloured luggage gathered and were listening. Little by little the crowd grew. The pianist's back was to those watching him so he had no idea of the reaction.

With a final flourish he finished and as he stood to leave everyone applauded.

The piano is there for anyone who wants to play.

We, too, moved on.

When I passed the piano next, a little boy was playing. No one stopped to listen, but when he stopped, he clapped for himself.

Our train was due as much as I would have loved to see who else accepted the invitation to play.