Châtelet les Halles conversations

TLDR: conversations on human nature with a drunk gentleman in the metro

I was getting on the metro at Les Halles, a major station in Paris which is often subject to crowds and attracts the stranger members of the city.

It is not uncommon to see a group of drunk gentlemen that exhibit an often harmless demeanor of aggressivity.

I was trying to get on a train that was full to the brim and I failed. Meanwhile, I bumped into a blond gentleman, whom I smelled before I saw. Indeed, he was so drunk, he reeked of alcohol. He was in his early twenties, blonde, and extremely inebriated, to the degree that I feared he might burst into flames should he be exposed to a flame.

I turned around, he was livid. I apologized for bumping into him, even though he was wrong because he was pushing me. He looked completely dazed and said:

-You smell nice.

-Thank you, the Sephora sales lady sprayed me with perfume.

I was carrying a Sephora bag and he pulled at it and said:

-What you got there ?

-A gift for my mother, don't open it, it's gift wrapped.

-My mother is dead.

-I just lost my father and I understand, I'm sorry.

I felt his aggressivity calm down a bit. He had challenged me twice and twice I had failed to give in.

-Where are you from?

-I'm from Egypt. How about you ?

-I'm French

He was defiant again. I decided to play along.

-Where abouts in France ? you talk to strangers too easily to be Parisian.

-Bretagne. I didn't like you lot before going to prison but now I like Arabs.

-I'm happy to hear that. Why did you go to prison ?

-Drug traffic.

-You must have sold quite a lot to get a sentence.

-Yes I got caught dealing cocaine and I had a three year sentence.

-That seems like an awful amount of time.

-Yeah.

We get into the train. He offers me vanilla and chocolate waffers from a closed packet. I refuse politely, he gets annoyed because it's favorite childhood treat but calms down quickly again. A lady inadvertently bumps into him. He gets ready to get angry again untill she apologizes and he says:

-Pas grave ma soeur.

We talk a bit more, he is less defiant, less angry but is now showing off a bit about his life in crime. He looks very young and fragile and a bit worse for wear. Grubby, tired and very angry. As I leave, he tells me:

-Merci Madame, vous êtes gentille.

-Tout le monde peut être gentille.

-Oui madame, mais pas tout le monde ne choisit de l'être.

He asks to give me la bise, of course, this another challenge, the same defiance is there. I accept, he stays extremely respectful.