This morning on the subway: cute girl separates from her giggling gaggle, and plops down on the chair beside me. She is quite pretty: young, black, mid to late teens. She smiles and says, “Hi!” — almost as though greeting a five-year old.

I grin back. “Hi,” I say with mock shyness.

“So how old are you?” she asks, still smiling. This is beyond flirting!

My grin is even wider. “I’m twenty-six.”

Her eyes as big as dinner plates. “Oo-okay, you too old!”

“I sure am!” And I laugh heartily.

As I get off at my stop, she has rejoined the giggling gaggle. She waves at me through the closing doors. “Bye, boyfriend!”

I’m tempted to respond, “Bye, pootie-pie!” But I just give my most winning smile and head for school, only one thought running through my head: Yaks, malandi!