London Encounters: Voices and Superpowers

I’ve unlocked a rather unusual superpower while in London — the ability to tell by someone’s voice that they are of African descent.

It’s immediately noticeable, and I can’t quite explain it. They have a different rhythm in their speech, and their voices are so pleasant, deep, and velvety.

So, I was on the phone with a male realtor, taking note of this observation. Afterward, we moved to WhatsApp, and when I saw his photo, my guess was confirmed.

We agreed to meet later this evening to check out an apartment. He’s a tall, masculine guy, which made me feel better since I was going with my husband; it would have felt a bit uncomfortable to go alone.

I wrote to the realtor to ask if we could bring our dog along — she’s about the size of a cat. He called me back, and in that same deep, velvety voice, he said, “Could you please not? I'm afraid of dogs.”