Without thinking, John began to shout. "Oi! You! Stoppit!" To his surprise, the kids scattered, well-dressed lads in slacks. They looked like him.
The girl wept in her boyfriend's arms. "We shouldn't have been there," she sobbed. It was like she thought God was punishing her for being with a man. She had a Snoopy badge on her coat. They didn't want to call the police.
John went back to work in shock. He told the story, and as if in a nightmare, everyone began to laugh. Mike his boss, Sharon who pays out, they all laughed. Sharon ran out into the shop. "Here," she said, "you know little John who works on the computer? He's just seen some Pakis being stoned." The whole shop roared.
John is from a large family who go to church every Sunday, and he burns candles and confesses to sins of lust or bad intent. He is a virgin and thinks everyone must guess that, from the spots. Why did they laugh? Laugh at what? At him?