Question

As a fellow passenger of Bill Bryson on the flight, make a diary entry describing his clumsy behaviour during the trip and the inconveniences caused to others as a result of his nervousness.

Answer 1

On that fateful day, I was standing in front of the check-in counter just behind a crazy man. He was making odd movements with his hands. It appeared that he was trying to open something. He had yanked the zip of his bag open. It spilled ejecting all the important contents. The funny thing was, the funnyman was running behind a tin of tobacco that had already disgorged its content. Then he suddenly cried, “My finger”. Maybe he had hurt his finger. The funniest side of the whole episode was that he ignored passport, currency, coins, and other fluttering travel documents. I had my sincere sympathy with the man but I couldn’t help laughing noiselessly because the fellow was really eccentric.

He did not have a sense of proportion. He gave importance to trifles and ignored the major things lying down fluttering in the corridor of the airport. During his flight, he disgorged/spilled the contents of his drink and profusely tendered his apology to the lady next to him. He appeared as real as a buffoon when he appeared sheepish with navy blue ink smeared on his gum, teeth, chin, and tongue. It reminded me of a lion-faced monkey.

‘‘I have always had a reputation as a Bufoon.”