There is a cry out - a sob, you realize as you approach a man embracing a woman.
As though timed, when you walk past the pair in the middle of the sidewalk a second woman says loudly, "What happened?"
"His brother died, yesterday" replies the first.
The rest of the people on the sidewalk (normally a lively and engaged bunch) just stand around silently and observe the scene. You, on your normal walk toward work, feel like a trespasser in a public place. This moment of grief and comfort is tragically beautiful and captivating - even though you only experience it in passing.