THE TRAVELLING STRANGER (Short Fiction)

 THE TRAVELLING STRANGER By Sarah Joy Holden

It was a chilly late morning in February, and the railway station has just witnessed the early morning rush hour. Arriving at the station just after the rush hour commute is a young lady called Bernadette. Bernadette could have got an earlier train, but wanted to avoid the hordes of commuters jostling for their rush hour trains and the overcrowded platforms. Entering the familiarities of the station she headed onto the correct platform, here she waited and watched for the train’s arrival along with the other passengers.

It wasn’t long before the train pulled into the platform, its doors opening and several passengers disembarked, before those waiting surged forward trying to board. Bernadette took her time letting a few people go before her. Finally she took her chance and boarded the train. She manages to find herself a window seat; thankful and surprised that she actually did even manage to get a seat on a train. It was a good idea to get a later train, she thought. Any train can be a busy train but none more than in the rush hour of the day.

Now Bernadette removes the bag from her shoulder and places it close by her side. Here settling into her own space and preparing for the journey ahead of her. She watches as people still try to board, smiles at those familiar folk who run to catch the train. There are of cause those couples taking a final hug before an emotional goodbye, and what feels like the kind people who hold up a train’s departure. Now that everyone has safely boarded and the door alert system sounds. The doors close but there is however always going to be that one person who reaches the train to late, frantically waving their arms about expecting they have the right to be let on, but it’s now too late.

The guard on the platform has blown his whistle, this alerting passengers of the train's approach and departure. This is followed by a different whistle sequence to alert the driver it is safe to proceed. The train starts of on its journey and for once it actually leaves on time. Bernadette begins to hear noise of the moving train and the chatter with in the carriage that intensifies, getting faster and louder. It is guaranteed you’ll be hearing that all familiar noise from the headphones of a passenger close by.

At the beginning of the journey Bernadette notices a gentleman sat opposite her. He has a pen behind his ear and a notebook held closed with a tatty old shoe lace. The train now gathering speed as it goes whizzing past trees, hurtling under bridges and through dark tunnels. Bernadette turns her gaze away from the gentleman position, remembering what her mother always told her, it’s rude to stare. Coming through the other end of the tunnel, her eyes wander towards the gentleman who has now untied his notebook and taken the pen from behind his ear and begins to observe the carriage. Then scribbling notes in that what appears to be a well-travelled notebook.

Suddenly, Bernadette hears footsteps behind her, and a voice that shrills ‘Tickets Please’; she is reassured by the ticket masters voice and holds her ticket towards him. Bernadette still much prefers to buy a paper ticket from a train station booking office. Whilst trying to present her ticket to the conductor, she is also trying to avoid the glances of the gentleman with his roaming eye and notebook taking.Now the ticket master has moved on and the gentleman is still jotting down his notes. Their train pulls in and leaves two further stations. It is not long before Bernadette’s curiosity suddenly gets the better of her; Now she uncontrollably blurts out a waterfall of words; ‘excuse me sir for asking, I hope you don’t find me rude, but may I ask who or what is interesting you on our carriage. The gentleman looks up from his notebook, peers over his spectacles. “Not rude at all’ the gentleman replied, “As a matter of fact I’m writing about you and all these passengers on my train, you’ll find out in good time.”

There was a stunned silence for the rest of the journey. Bernadette quietly and thoughtfully, tried to process what had just happened. Bernadette’s gaze held it view upon the passing of the outside world, for the most of the continuing journey. Soon the train slows its speed as it approaches another station. Here the gentleman puts his pen back behind his ear and ties closed his notebook, as he prepares to leave as the train has reached his destination.

 ‘Bernadette, you fool’ (thinking to herself), why didn’t you ask him if you and your fellow passengers could have heard it. But it was too late as she watches him exit the station and unlikely to be ever seen again. The train pulls slowly away from the station. She will never know or so she thought. Today Bernadette encountered a strange yet intriguing fellow and somehow has possibly become a character of his story.

As the train now finally approaches Bernadette’s station. She picks up her bag once again and places onto her shoulder. The train arrives at the station, at the end of the line. Just as Bernadette is about to disembark the train conductor hands her a crumpled note; I’ve been asked to give you this said the conductor, for which I have no answer for. Bernadette thanks the conductor as she takes the curious note from his hand. Now standing on the platform she heads to a nearby station bench, before leaving the station. Bernadette opens the crumpled note which reads: in answer to your question, you’ll possibly find yourself somewhere in my new book called ‘Strangers on the train. “Please don’t look for it now, remember I was just writing on our train. The place we first met and you asked your impending question. In time you may find the story written in my actual book”. But to this very day Bernadette has never come across him nor his book.

This would leave her and ourselves, in no doubt to think was all he said the truth or a lie. Will any of us really know learn the reality of this story; only time will tell? It takes a moment to create a story but a lifetime to write a good book.