Skytrain Incidents
Two of them. A goodie and a baddie.
1) Was It A Blessing?
So I get on the train with Andrew in his stroller, and as Ian noted in one of his posts, most people ignored me or tried to shove me out of the way without being obvious about it. So as usual I fight to get a spot by the opposite doors.
I'm standing next to Andrew for about half the journey, and he starts to get fussy. He doesn't like being restrained, and has a facination with being able to run around the train. I don't ever let him do it, honest!
Anyway, a seat opens up and I lunge upon it with Andrew on my lap. We sit, and next to us is this fellow who looks close to my age and is Middle-Eastern (this may or may not be relevant). He sizes me up (which I notice because most people stare off into space on the train) and clearly wants to say something. I'm kinda nervous about this, because I'm fairly certain I did NOT fart. Well mostly certain.
He breaks the ice finally. "Where's the mother?"
"She's at work."
"Oh...is that how it is." This wasn't a question.
Well, it isn't 'how it is' but I'm not going to explain our income situation. "Sometimes."
"Anymore kids?"
"No, just him."
He turns away and looks out the window. Then he looks at me and says in a fairly ambiguous way "God help you, man"
I said the first thing that came to mind. "Wow, thanks!!"
Stony silence.
WTF, mate?
2) Tell Me A Story
On a different day I was on the train solo and saw a youngish fellow (my age?) walking around wearing a packed backpack. Attached with some tape was a handmade sign with the following written on it:
TELL ME A STORY
Anywhere from romantic to tragic, tell me one
TELL ME A STORY
Hmm.
He sits a couple rows up from me and is talking to one other student-type. At the next stop, the student is about to get off, and the story seeker asks kindly if he can have the student's name. The student relents to a "Steven". Sweet name.
Story Seeker goes to a couple not too far and asks if they saw his sign. They say "Yes"
"Do you have a story for me?"
"Is this for school or something?"
"Does it matter?" Interesting, but evasive.
Anyway, this new guy tells this story (I didn't hear much of it) and I notice that the Seeker is taking notes, in a clearly well-used notebook. But that's not all I see.
The Story Seeker has turned the train of anonymous people staring off into space into something else entirely. The people telling the stories (I saw three) become animated, and emotive, and a new energy goes through the train.
It was incredible.