THE TRAIN STATION CONVERSATION
The train was bound to leave at 6pm. Time of arrival in my desired destination would be 10am, the next day. I stood at the boarding platform at the train station. The time read 1805 at this point.
“We are sorry to announce that TRAIN CP-050 has been delayed. Time of arrival to be announced shortly. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
I was disappointed, very disappointed. This was not the first time a thing like this had occurred. Ever since the new governor had stepped in. Governor Gordon Ramsay was the name of the snake who had slid into office. I was not one for politics and neither did I air my views lest I lose my head.
Given the current situation, I quietly went down the platform to the nearest seat before anyone could occupy the space left. I hastened there and found myself sitting beside a beautiful, young lady.
From the way she was positioned on the bench I could tell she was much taller than me. She sat with her legs crisscrossed. The lady wore a light green suit; it included a jacket, a pair of trousers with white socks apparent from a small gap between the lower edge of the garment and the top part of the dark green leather heels.
Her hair was short and her face was thin and skinny. Her chest however was broader for one with such a face and as if it were not enough, her hands were quite long. I told myself she had an athletic build. So, I thought to say hello, given my predisposition for such ladies.
I waved my hand just in front of her.
“Hello there,” I said.
“That is rather rude, don’t you think? Waving your hand like that in front of a stranger.”
“Forgive my manners ma’am. Just trying to get your attention.”
“Well, now you have it. What do you want?!!”
“Rather rude, don’t you think?”
“Now, we are even.” She smirked.
“Alright,” I said with a frown followed by a smile.
“So, the name is Gilbert. Yours?”
“My name is Barbara.”
“Nice to meet you., rude Barbara,” I said whilst laughing.
“Same here, ruder Gilbert,” as she burst into laughter and so did I.
“The colour of your suit reminds me of the old Boston Celtics. Big fan of Larry Bird.”
“Really, are you? Actually, I am a basketball player. I play for the city, a power forward, just like your Larry.”
“Wow, that’s nice. I love the game of basketball. So where and when is the match, if you don’t mind me prying in? That is where you are going, right?”
“It’s at 2300 in a small town two stops from here. You are right, that’s why I am all dressed up. Woman has to make an entrance.”
“Nice. All the best.”
“Thanks. And what do you do?”
“I am an endocrinologist…”
She interjected, “Simple English please.”
I giggled. “Forgive me, I am a doctor who deals with organs that produce hormones. You know diseases like diabetes, goitre and so on. Clear now?”
“Yeah, it is. Wow, lovely. You guys grow old in school.”
“No, we don’t” I laughed a bit. Stopped. “Well, you’re right. But I love it. Given another life, I would do it all over again.”
“Hard thing to admit. I have a few doctor friends and believe me, none of them ever admitted that. Kudos to you, Gilbert.”
She high-fived me and I so did I in return. Barbara had the sense of humour I liked, the sarcastic type.
Then we both heard a man clear his throat through the PA system.
“Good evening again. The train will arrive at 1900. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.” Then a strange silence followed. The crowd was taking time to absorb the truth of the matter. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the crowd continued talking as before.
“Well, that’s a bummer,” Barbara said as she broke the odd silence between the two of us.
“Are you going to miss your match?”
“No, I’m not. Thank God I decided to leave at 1800. My initial plan was to catch the 2100 train. God knows what else could have gone wrong then.” She shook her head and placed her hand on her face with fingers spread apart.
“A breather Barbara.” As I said this, I patted her on the back and exclaimed, ‘Phew!’
I continued, “Funny question but do you enjoy the game of basketball?”
“Hmm, let me think for a second,” she said sarcastically. She placed her hand on her chin and looked at me. “Actually, thinking about it I don’t, that’s why I devote so much time to it Gilbert.”
She paused with a flat face. I couldn’t tell if it were sarcasm or she was being real but the humorous me told me the former was more likely. Then I hit my head with my hand formed into a fist mockingly. “Damn, stupid me. Dumb me.”
“You, dumb old chap.”
She continued with the mockery and I started to feel bad. As soon as she recognized it, she burst into laughter. “Got you bummer. I take it ‘sarcasm’ is alien to you,” as she used the index and middle fingers of both her hands to gesture air quotes.
“Actually, it isn’t. You just sold it pretty well. I like the style; you should teach me.”
“Hmm, hmm, hmm,” Barbara said repeatedly. She faced down, taking a glance at her watch. “Well Gilbert, I have 30 minutes to do that, so please pay close attention.” Then she rubbed my thigh amicably.
“Cool. 30 minutes. I might as well get to know you, ‘Miss Danger Stranger.’” “Which part of the city are you from by the way?”
“Oooh, I am not from around. I just play for the city. I actually am from Polandoca, the capital.”
“Nice, I have been there once or twice, cool place though I’m not a big fan of crowds or crowded places. No offence. So, I settled down here. I mean it is a city but it is smaller, not as crowded and it is kinda quiet too.”
“Non-taken. I completely understand. I am claustrophobic.”
She made me rumble in laughter with that statement. “You just can’t stop with the extraordinary comments, right? Instead of playing basketball, you should be a commentator. The Martin Tyler of basketball and I would hire you.”
Her hands moved to her chest and she pushed it in and went on, “Oooh, thank you. I will consider.” She cleared her throat.
“And where are you from, stranger Gilbert?”
“I already told you that.”
“Yeah, yeah. Forgive me, I just got lost in the convo. You had me going there Gilberto.”
“No worries. You get to ask another question then stranger.”
“Okay SIR. I didn’t know this was a question-and-answer thing. However, I have no question.” She looked up, doubting herself, perhaps she was comprehending the depth of her next words.
“What I do have is a confession dear sirrrr. I have a condition which I will not mention, hormonal thing. Doc told me I have two more years of sport then I am done. I have to get into something less aggressive he says. Fucked up, huh?”
“No, not at all. I don’t judge. I’m sorry though.”
“No, no, no. Don’t do that pity thing I get from my doctor. I came to terms with it 1 year ago. They gave me a truckload of pills; I get jittery a lot.”
“So how does your team get you to play in such a state. It’s unethical.”
“They don’t. I never told them. I paid the doctor off to say nothing. I want to do something I love before I just get all dormant. And you should hush about it too doctor if you know what’s good for you.”
Barbara reached for her purse and out came an iron drinking container, those whisky type. She placed it in front of me and I gestured.
“Why not?” I remarked. “A little wouldn’t hurt.” I took it then took a gulp. It was definitely Bourbon.
“Good taste, Miss Barbara.”
“More like Mrs. Yeah, I know, no ring,” as she raised her left hand and indicating the ring finger. “BUT,” she said. A very bit ‘but.’ Barbara pulled out her necklace with a diamond studded ring at the bottom of it.
“Why not on your hand, did he pass away?”
“Well Gilbert. On papers I am legally married to Antonio but I never agreed to it. Arranged marriage shit. So, they said they will give me time to think about it. About what an opportunity few got I was throwing away.”
“Should I say sorry again? Feels odd saying that twice in the space of 10 minutes.”
“It is what it is, man.” With shoulders shrugged, she turned her face the other way.
I moved in closer and tried to hold her hand but she quickly withdrew it as soon as she sensed my touch. Now as I was completely confused, she moved in closer herself and placed her head on my shoulders. Not a word she uttered but she did sob. As she did, she gulped also on the remains of the alcohol.
She turned her face and stared into my eyes. She moved closer and just placed her head on my shoulders. She said nothing and just lay her head there, tears flowing down with her hands gripping well on her kit bag.
Then somehow the silence broke. In a low tone she remarked, “Doctor.”
“Yes,” I replied.
“The family doctor said it’s easier to share your problems with a stranger. Get them off your chest, does it work?”
“You tell me,” I said. “You just tried, you ought to know. Does it work, Barbara?”
She wiped her tears and hooked onto my left arm with her right hand.
“I don’t know Doc. I wish I wasn’t from a flamboyant family. Selling their daughter. I was supposed to go to med school like you, white coat shit. But I said otherwise, played the game of basketball and got a business diploma and got into agriculture on the side. A life, huh?”
“I know what it’s like to be expected to do things. Only thing is I never had the guts to do what you did. Deny to do what they wanted. Med school was forced on me, so was tennis, chess, polo, golf, the list is endless. So much for the upper-class citizens
She faced up to me from my shoulders and nodded her head in agreement.
“Hear what Gilbert? Come watch my match.”
“I have work Barbara. And it is a very long journey. And no offence but we just met.” I grinned.
“I will put you on a private plane after the match. Faster than a train.”
“I have fear of heights, that’s why I avoid those things.”
“Okay, I will drive you there. Come on, please. Family doesn’t come and I really don’t have friends. Nothing like stranger danger cheering you up in the crowd.” She giggled.
I sat there and just thought. A doctor must put his patient’s needs before his own. This is what I was using to convince myself to go. I did know her prior but not in person. She was one of my father’s patients and so was she mine too, somehow.
“Alright Barbara. You won me, let’s go.”
***
After the match, I sat by the kerb near the back entrance. After a long hour of waiting, Barbara finally appeared. “Totally forgot to change contacts in case we missed each other. Thank God you waited here,” she said with relief in her voice.
“Well, if I should say, you have an Instagram account with like hundreds of thousands of followers most probably. I could have DMed you, had it come to the worst.” I shook my head, widening my eyes, expressing the obviousness in it all.
“Yeah, right. Totally.”
“The match was fun by the way. I loved it. I didn’t know you dunked that hard, damn! Remind me not to mess with you.”
“Well,” she replied. The lady turned round twice in a dancing fashion. Master Forward at your service.” To top it all off, she bowed.
“And did your teammates smell the whiskey?”
“Really?” She got in ‘the pose,’ hips out with hands resting on her waist. “You know just how to spoil the mood Gilly.”
“Is that my new nickname now? Sounds like a fish.” As I said this, I moved in closer to her in order to embrace her in a friendly way, hand over shoulders. This was my way to get her to forgive me for killing the with my statement. And when I finally did, she leaned in. “Where to now, Gilbert? Are you in such a hurry to get to work?” she exclaimed.
“I am actually.”
She gave me a long stare with the Puss in Boots eyes. “Well,” I said, “I guess I can spare a few hours, you’re the one who is going to drive me anyways, so I am good.”
“That’s the spirit Gilly. Saying that name out loud again, it does sound like fish you can fry. You were right Gilly.”
“And by the way I’m starving dear fish. I want to eat something, anything. I would love fast food today though. That diet crap I have been on is doing me no good,” Barbara continued in her speech.
“Okay ma’am. Domino’s pizza then, on me. P.S I AM A VEGETERIAN in bold letters.”
“Haha, you have to be kidding me!” She gave me a blank stare with a look like WTF.
I stared back then what came out of my mouth was “I think I forgot to say ‘used to be’”
“Great. I was going to stuff it down your throat anyway. Pepperoni pizza. Pork pizza. Lamb pizza. All types you can think of.”
“Just for tonight though Barbara. I am carnivorous. But it appeared you had a plan to make me eat anyway. So, imagine I am vegan.”
“Okay Gilly.” She smiled. “Then the bill is on me, let’s go to Bregos. They have that assorted pizza stuff.”
“Coolies, works with me.”
“And ooh, I am leaving the car for now. Bregos is just down the road. In any case I just want to breathe in the cool air. The stadium got me all stuffed up.”
“Well, I on the other hand was thinking you were super-tired and wanted to rest. I swore I would have driven you around. A little bit of courtesy for the victors today.”
“Naah man. Don’t be so formal please. I am not your boss, or manager or whatever you have in hospitals. We are just two strangers having fun. Just enjoy, forget about formalities Mr Principles.” Her face brightened.
“Well, well. This is my doctor analysis, psychologist shit. We are two different poles. Both our parents told us of stranger danger. You said, fuck it, bullshit. I said well, mummy is right. But now you just spoiled me.” I pointed at her with my finger in a mischievous, sexually suggestive way then said “You mischievous little tall girl. Shame on you.” And I gestured a spank.
At this point she just started blushing and drew away from our embrace in which we had been interlocked in for the past 10 minutes. “You made me blush. No one has done that in a long while Gilly.” She covered her face with both hands evenly spread across her face.
I took a big step towards her and held both her hands. “Maybe it’s the alcohol,” I whispered.
“That’s went out of my system a long time ago silly.” she rocked her body in one spot like a kid throwing tantrums. Was it a hormonal attack? Somehow, she felt my concern and said, “Normal girl stuff. I can tell you either have never or haven’t dated in a very long while. Your way around a woman is kinda weird dude.” A giggle followed. She then put her hands down revealing her rose red face especially on the cheeks and her forehead. “I look horrible, right?”
“No, I think it’s cute.” Then I kissed her on her forehead. This time she didn’t withdraw. She just stood there frozen, like an iceberg. My heart told me to kiss her lips but my head thought not and my other head agreed. I was in a dilemma. She then took a small step towards me. Now I was looking up a bit at an angle because she was taller than me. As she was closer her perfume graced my nose. It smelled of lilies, roses and tulips combined. Suddenly, she wrapped her hands around my shoulders and drew me in. What I could only do was give in and hope we would spontaneously kiss. This time on the lips. She, as if reading my mind, just kissed me and my God was she a good kisser. She then stopped and pointed to the building next to us. “Bregos,” she exclaimed. “We are here Gilly”
“Indeed, we are,” I replied. “Indeed, we are.”
We entered the shop and ordered a pizza and enjoyed the rest of the night in that place.
