We had gone to a weekend picnic, with my fellow country men to a city park in Saint Louis. There was a friend, who had a medical condition which made him jerk his head uncontrolled, and flickered his eyes at regularly.
Another friend, who was an Azari (Turkish speaker Iranian), saw him and asked me what was the matter with our friend.
I told him that he was born that way and could not help it.
He told me that he used to be a train conductor in Iran, going from Tehran to Ahwaz which was an oil city in the south.
During the Persian New Year which begins on March 21, and continues for 13 days, most people of the means would go to the southern regions and overcome the misery of the winter in a warmer climate.
The minister of the interior, who was well connected, and had a young and beautiful wife, with two well developed teen age daughters were traveling first class, and in the privileged, and the private quarters of the train to the city of Ahwaz.
My conductor friend had gone to their cabin to check their tickets, comes face to face with the beauties, and the old habits takes over and looks in the face of the beauties and starts winking.
By the time he gets half the way back to the regular section of the train, he sees other train conductors looking for him to inform him that the minister has requested for his arrest at the next train stop for not having respected his honor by winking at his beautiful wife and daughters.
My conductor friend rushes back to the minister’s cabin and starts winking and shaking his head.
The minister asks him what was the matter with him?
He tells him that from the childhood, he was afflicted with the nerve tick disease and can not stop it.
The minister gets an understanding look on his face, and invites him to join him in a glass of premium and not adulterated whiskey.
He joins the minister’s table and takes a good notice of all the premium parts of the ladies, and enjoys the minister’s hospitality
