Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Feel Better

Boarding the train, he takes his reserved seat, beside a woman. She smiles and asks many questions. He answers indirectly. Their conversation starts and stops. She gives up, choosing to read instead.

The landscape is flat and green, and stretches forever like this.

They discuss books. Noticing the way she thumbs the pages, he says, "You don't like that book, do you?"

She assures him she does, and goes back to reading.

He thinks this was stupid to say, so looks out the window. The trees are grey and leafless, ordered into neat rows. He finds this fascinating, and touches her leg to get her attention. She is pleased by the sight, and smiles at him, squinting in the late-day sunlight. He looks out the window some more. The train arrives at the station. His stop. He gets up to leave, says good bye. Afterward, somewhere outside the train, on the street, waiting at the crosswalk, he wonders what her name was.