The Train

Waiting is painful but sometimes, in the excruciating pain, you find pleasure

There was once a girl who came by a train station. She was a peculiar girl wearing a red shawl. The warm afternoon was quiet with almost nobody around. So she waited for her train. It was specific train that will take her home. So she waited there for quite a long time eventhough she was punctual to the ticket's time.

Minutes…hours…days…

On the 3rd day she was there, the old man who sells ticket there got out of his booth (something he rarely does) and went to her. He was a thin man who had moustache and beard the color of silver and tired grey eyes. He was a tired old man. And looking at the girl waiting there made him even tired. He was used to seeing people come and go that he can't stand watching the girl sitting there very still, only looking up when there's a train passing by. And there's only one train that comes from different places every one hour everyday. He wondered if the girl didn't know the schedule and just too shy to ask about it. Or maybe she couldn't read. Or maybe she can't find the schedule board. Or maybe, she fell asleep when her train came and missed it.

So he went to her and asked:

"Excuse me girl…are you waiting for a train?"

It was a silly question to ask. But she could be waiting for something other than the train.

"Yes, Sir,"

She answered, looking at him. Though she was a young person, the old man could tell that she looked more tired than he was.

"Is your train coming today?" he asked again. He was a man of many questions. Many thought he could say anything other than tickets's prices and 'next'. But he does have the curiosity of a child.

"Yes. It would come at 4.16 pm," she answered and smiled. She looked so much younger with a smile. He smiled back because he rarely gets a smile when he works. And he went back to his booth, trying to remember if there would be any special train that'll come by at 4.16 pm.

At 4.16 pm, he heard a train. The girl must've been so excited to board on that she waited 3 days in advance. He smiled at such refreshing feeling. He worked at for a few more hours, until the sun began to set. When he was filing the tickets for tomorrow, he caught a glimpse of red, reflected by the pink lavender color of the last sun rays. The girl was still there sitting at the bench of the train platform. He wondered why she was still there.

"Didn't your train come earlier just now?"

She shook her head.

"It was not my train,"

"It wasn't? May I have a look at your ticket?"

She gave him her ticket. He looked at it. The ticket said:

"Senandung Malam 4, 4.16 pm, seat 46B, economy class, Home,"

It was like any other ticket he had issued. But there was no date. He looked at her.

"You could buy another ticket. This ticket has expire," he told her.

She looked at him.

"No. I don't want to. It was given to me. I want to board this train. It should've come days ago. But it didn't. Maybe there was a delay. I need to wait for it,"

"There would be alot of other trains that will go that way. I can give you a ticket for free and you can pay me later,"

"No. It's alright. Thank you. I want to board this train,"

He smiled to her and told her that if she ever change her mind, she should just tell him. So, he just left her there.

Days….weeks…months…

He still saw her there, everyday, waiting at the same bench, at the same platform, wearing the same shawl. She patiently waited. He thought it was stupid. Why wait for a train that God knows exist or not. But, he found her to be a very interesting person although she rarely smiles and speaks coldly polite. Over time, he grew to like the girl. Eventhough he was an old man, he felt young just by watching her and talking to her. One day, he told her.

"Why don't you just stay here in this town. I'll take care of you. I may be old but I have wealth and I don't have a family. If I die, you'll have assurance that will keep you well off for a long time,"

She smiled. She smiled more often when she talks to the old man. In fact, she began to like the old man who cares for her. She wanted to stay there very much. But she shook her head.

"This is not my home. I can't stay here," she said.

He was frustrated at what she said. But every single day, he told her the same thing and ask her the same question:

"Will you come with me?"

She always shook her head. Months…seasons…years…

Every single day, he asked the same thing. She shook her head with a smile. He thought that after the first attempt asking for her hand, she would be awkward around him. But she wasn't. She was as fine as the constant sun shining over the sky; be it rain or shine, night or day, she was constantly there like the close star. One day, she didn't come. He thought that she could be sick. He wondered wherever could she be. But she never told him where she lived in the town. And when he asked anyone, nobody knew who she was. So, he waited for her to return. It was a long time. He waited.

One day, a post boy gave him a parcel. He never received a letter his whole life in the little town. So, he opened the brown paper and saw the familiar red shawl. There was a letter.

"Hello. I'm sorry I can't accompany you anymore. I wanted to come by I can't anymore. I am glad that you have been really kind to me. And I am very sorry I can't return your kindness in the way I know you would want me to. I need to be home. I promised that I will take that train to my home. So I waited although I hate waiting. It kills me to wait and it hurts me to know that I could've had another home if I took a train that was given to me without any condition. But I can't, I want that home promised to me. I was obliged to want to be there.

Here, I have sent my shawl to you along with the ticket. I beg for your kindness to send it off on the train I was supposed to board. Thank you for noticing that I was there. Never in my life has anyone waited on me. Thank you very much.

Ran"

He closed the letter and held it in his hand, the warmth could almost be felt. All those moments and hours spent together, he marvelled at how simple and beautiful her name was. How easy it was to remember. But he never bothered to ask the simple question. He took the shawl and the ticket and kept it in the drawer, waiting for the train to arrive and to finally send her home.

Author's Note

I always come out with quirky ideas about stories. I think small hours, minutes and seconds can tell a thousand stories. You think?