Different Wisdoms

Gaius is sitting in Denis's seat, beside Denis's neighbour, who is asleep.

Terence has nowhere to sit.

Can you put up the armrest? asks Terence.

We don't want to disturb the sleeper, says Gaius. 

I do, says Terence. He might turn out to be wise.

Wise? says Gaius. Why should you think so?

Because our neighbour turned out to be wise, says Terence.

She turned out to remind Denis of someone who was wise, says Gaius.

That's the same, says Terence.

It's not the same, says Gaius. As Denis may be discovering.

What? asks Terence.

I'm sure she has her own wisdom, says Gaius. But it will be different from the wisdom Denis remembers in Sophie. 

She knew how to unstick me, says Terence.

So she did, says Gaius.

Can you open this? asks Terence.

It's his red drink. He can't open the box.

Gaius opens it, with difficulty, disturbing the sleeping neighbour

The sleeping neighbour stirs.

Whaa...! yawns the sleeping neighbour. 

Did we disturb you? asks Gaius. If so, we are sorry.

Yes we're sorry, says Terence. Me specially. Because I haven't got anywhere to sit now.

You didn't before, says Gaius. 

Yes but you put up the armrest, says Terence. Then I did.

And got stuck, says Gaius.

Want to put up the armrest? asks the woken-up neighbour. I don't mind. 

No thank you, says Gaius. Terence likes to runs back and forth with messages.

I'm the message guy, says Terence.

Cool, says the neighbour. Hey, did I miss the drinks trolley?

I'm afraid so, says Gaius. 

How about message guy runs up to the drinks trolley and asks them to bring me a coffee? says the woken-up neighbour.

I don't think they'll oblige, says Gaius. They don't seem to like going backwards.

Too bad, says the woken-up neighbour. So how come you swapped seats with Denis?

You know Denis? says Gaius.

We were talking before I dropped off, says the woken-up neighbour. Claimed he was in the Tour de France, would you believe? 

He was, says Gaius. So was I, come to that.

No way! says the woken-up neighbour. Aren't you guys...err...kind of...

SLOW! says Terence.  

Not so slow, says Gaius. But we didn't win any jerseys.

The woken-up guy doesn't know what to believe. Two old guys, both claiming to have been in the Tour de France, sitting next to him, one after the other.

Maybe he hasn't woken up, after all.