crowd

 Persuade the son to leave the house and go for a cup of coffee in one of the local cafés. He has been depressed for some days, and it may be nice for him to have a chat as he always dis last year. Well, last year he was sixteen and now he is seventeen, and things change.

He walks ahead, head sunken, typical teenager pose. He is wearing a green parka despite the warmth of the day today.

Upon arriving at the bakery, the woman there says that there is no coffee today, the café is closed as a matter of covid, and because she is alone.

Leave the cafe, cross the street and head on to the main market. He sees the crowds of people there and turns in apparent discomfort. He has become agoraphobiac, and it will take time to show whether or not this is an act or whether it is for real. 

Turn around and follow him back home. There is nothing to be done.

At home, he examines the new air compressor that came in the post this morning. He checks all the contacts and corners and plastic bags full of accessories and then he plugged the power cord into a wall socket. The machine was noisy, and it slowly filled it's tank up to eight atmospheres of pressure. He attached one of his spray guns and filled it with water. He then was able to produce a steady mist of water, thus showing that all his things worked.

He was perfectly happy when not in a crowd, and doing something technical