Train
I’m sitting on the train at 3am. It’s crowded. To my left is a
weathered black woman telling the conductor that she doesn’t know
where she is getting off. To my right is a man with a large bald spot
and glasses sporting a shirt that reads “I have issues”. I briefly
pause to consider the idea that my bald spot could be that big. I
brush it off and keep going. The entire train is a drunken product of
some concert. Everyone is talking about peace, love and the crappy hippie
band Phish.
Once I am settled, I overhear a conversation between a man and a woman
two rows in front of me. They are both in their early thirties. Woman
looks well kept. She talks about living on the island but working in
the city. Man also works in the city and lives on the island. He is a
chef who runs two Mexican restaurants. Woman works in HR. She smiles
often. She is trying way too hard. Man continues to play it cool by
explaining the burns on his hand from cooking. The way he says it
makes it seem like he might actually be into her. He’s trying. I can’t
help but think I could be witnessing some young couple’s first
encounter. I can see their best man talking about “the time they met
on the train….”
He is in the Navy. She was in the city to see her trainer at a
Kickboxing event. He tells her he is done meeting girls at bars and
how he travels all around the world but hasn’t met someone that makes
him want to stay in one place. We are traveling east. The train is
getting louder. Or maybe they are just speaking lower. Either way, I
can’t hear them anymore. She has lots of dark brown hair. He is
wearing tims, a hoodie, and jeans. He looks like he just got off
work.
She laughs as he says “We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”
There is a lull in the conversation so she starts asking rapid
questions. “What’s your favorite dish to cook?” Clearly she is trying
too hard. Man knows it, but is still playing it cool. She mentions the
Kickboxing even and I believe she will go every Friday hoping Man will
be there. He looks her up and down in a way that makes it clear he is
considering keeping in touch. His stop is next. Maybe he will get her
Twitter or FaceBook.
Win!
He gets her number and they shake hands.
He calls it.
It doesn’t ring the first time.
The second time is successful and N’Sync’s Bye Bye Bye pierces
through the now quiet train car.