In college, Malcolm Conner penned a rambling email intended for his crush. “You have cow eyes,” he wrote. “I know that sounds like a bad thing but have you ever looked into a cow’s eyes? They are so deep and brown and beautiful.” What he hadn’t disclosed — to his crush or to anyone at school — was that he was transgender and had transitioned at age 15. But he knew he had to tell this “charismatic acquaintance,” for what they had was flirtatious and unstoppable; it was, as Malcolm put it, physics. As it turned out, his crush had something to share too. They dated anyway — quietly, both knowing that each day of sweetness together was drawing them closer toward the last. Featured stories:“The Physics of Forbidden Love," Malcolm Conner“Strangers on a Train," Cecilia Pesao Malcolm’s story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. You can find more information on today's episode here.
OK.
Should I start?
Whenever you're ready.
So [CLEARS THROAT] [SPEAKING FRENCH]
We met on a train from Paris to Barcelona.
Sitting next to one another,
we argued over who could use the power outlet.
“Désolé, je crois que c’est à moi.”
(“Sorry, I think it’s mine“).
Instant crush, the beautiful love story.
The trip lasts like six hours.
We never stopped talking.
It was like wow.
We arrived, and when we didn’t realize that we were just arriving.
We agreed to meet back in Paris.
On March 19, I’d wait for his train at Gare de Lyon railway station.
We didn’t know that coronavirus would confine us in different countries.
Trusting the power of the universe, we hadn’t exchanged numbers.
[SPEAKING FRENCH]
[SPEAKING SPANISH]