Short stories

“We’ll soon arrive in station......”
“.... in 30 minutes..”
“ .... please take care of your baggage...”
“...... and have a nice day..”

I wonder when they’ll fix those blurry speakers.

It has been hours since I sat on this seemingly endless journey. I wondered where will find myself. But soon I realized, why should I? I took this train because of the realization that it would take me toward a specific location. It was long before I noticed how the short hand had already landed on 11 pm. The blankets of which I had laid upon me were rendered useless as I clutches on more clothes to keep myself warm against the cold air.

I quickly changed my clothes, putting another layer of t-shirt before covering it with my sweater. Changing clothes was never the problem with night trains considering that barely half of the seats were occupied and most of them were asleep. The cabin’s lights were off but the luminescences of the outside were enough to give me some sort of visibility. I’d always take the mirror’s seat every time I took the train. The most plausible explanation for it is the scenery but it was overruled due to the fact that I always travel at night. Maybe that’s why, because of the night.

Going at 124 kilometres an hour, the only light source I have was the dashes of light as the train passes by. Occasionally. Sometimes there would only be darkness. A perfect reflection of what my heart feels like.

“One hour left...”
Before my big day. Supposedly. And yet, it’s also the reason why I left. A little earlier, I would have been searched, a little of longer, I would have gone insane. The feeling that my heart can no longer hold, screamed out, distorting my perception of reality. Never had I thought that such emotion could cause pain of such magnitude.

I’d slide my phone, just to see if there’s any notification worth seeing. As much as I want to let go, something inside of me kept on wishing. Maybe, just maybe it’ll change. The brightness of the screen blinded my eyes, flashing the situation with white light and even then, I was still alone. Whether it was bright as day, or dark as night, I was always alone. Thousands of miles away from home, on a foreign land, hoping to find an escape. But it haunted my for every corner I turned into. And now I found myself on the road again. Hoping to find serenity in a foreign land.

“..Next station....”
“.... Please be careful when the ...”
“.... opens ....”

“I wonder when they’ll fix those blurry speakers.”
A stranger’s voice pierced the silence. I turned around to see a rather blurry silhouette standing in front of me.

“Hey, could I sit next to you till the next station?”

I nodded. It was a girl. From a single glance, she seemed like 20 or older with her long, striking, black, hair as dark the night was dangling to her back. She sat next to me and covered herself in a blanket in such ways that it resembles me earlier. She thanked me for the seat and explained the purpose of her action to such a stranger. It seems that sitting beside me puts her in a more secure situation as she put it †˜it’s easier to sit beside a stranger you’re brave against’ than to sit alone.

“Plus, you seemed like a nice guy”

The silence of night lulled the other passengers into a deep sleep. But I soon myself awakened by the loneliness. Both of us were. She would ask a question, trying to convey a conversation but I was too lazy to answer them longer than a †˜yes’ or a †˜no’. It doesn’t take much for her to stop asking, and once again, surrounding the cabin with silence. Every now and then I would glance over, catching a look of what she’s up to. As the train passes by an empty station, all I could saw was nothing but the glimmer in her eyes as it reflects the lights outside.

“Lights..”
She whispered.

“...the visible reminder of invisible lights..”
I continued.

“It’s beautiful”

“What is?”

“The scenery..”

“There’s nothing to see at night”
I replied as I yawn over the view.

“There’s more to just †˜the view’”

Maybe she’s right. Maybe that’s why I always took the night train. Because there’s more to it than just the view. Sometimes, the reason we chose to avoid the light is not because we hate it, we just misses the night. It wasn’t long before we continuously talk over random subjects. There’s 30 minutes left before my final stop, our final stop. And yet, it felt like the longest 30 minutes of my life.

She was, in a way, the opposite of me. She travels from one place to another to discover new things and keep those moments eternally in the form of a photograph. She would bring numerous empty albums to be filled by the end of her journey. In each picture lies a story worth a thousand letters. A memento of the past to her future self. She said it served †˜as a reminder of who I was, to who I will be’.

“Who are you visiting?”
I asked. The question has been hanging around my mind. I was either curious, or just wanted the conversation to continue. She took awhile to answer.

“My boyfriend...”
“... What about you?..”

“Umm.. My girlfriend”
I hesitated.

“Let’s hope they’re not jealous then.”
“..haha..”
She replied as she laughed slowly. The talk soon turned into silence. And I’ve been quiet for too long to suddenly start a conversation. My mind once again asked me to converse in words, but all I could let out was the cold breath as it vaporizes on the window. The scenery soon turns brighter, as we slowly reach our final stop, the central.

And lights were all it was. The station was empty of passengers except of the ones on board. All I could hear was the sound of vending machines serving nonexistent customer, looping the same message over and over again. The only living flesh I could see was the workers of the public transportation service. Even they had announced that it’ll be their last trip. The crowd soon dispersed, going to their own direction. It didn’t take long before all that was left was her and me.

“Send my regards to your girlfriend...”
She smiled.

“Tell your guy I said †˜hi’”
I replied.

We both walk equally the same distance towards the gate. As much I wanted to ask, I couldn’t.

“This is goodbye then....”
“... My friend is here”
She said as she walked forward, leaving me behind.

“..Bye.”
I replied. We both went our own ways. Dispersing the final group of individuals. Because that is what we were from the beginning, a group of individuals.

“... Hey...”
The voice shouted. It was her again. She grabbed her camera and snaps a picture of me. When the film came out, she quickly handed it over to me. And as she left and turns for one last time.

“Hey, about the boyfriend....”
“.. I lied”
“I’ve been through a bad breakup.. and..
“...and what I wanted to say is thank you..”
“ .. for the company”
“ hahaha”
She smiled. and I ,too, found myself smiling amidst the empty building.

“Me too”
I replied.

“Hope to see you again in another train”
She smiled as she waved me goodbye. She soon entered her friend’s car and left.

And that was the end of it.

She will always be †˜that girl embedded in by the night’, and I will always be †˜the missing picture in her album’.

"Hey there. I'm sorry for not visiting you in these past few months. It has been very busy at the office and... "

".. Hahaha, shouldn't have use that as an excuse"

" I brought some flowers, lavender, and your favourite root beer. Aren't I romantic? "

"Now, where should I start. Hmm, yes, the wedding.... "

I talked for a bit and evidently it did took quite some time before I finished. Not that it matters. Here, the sun is just a passerby fixated on its daily schedule. It could be sunny, or rainy, or a well mixed of both, and yet, it would still leave no remarks here. The heat will cool down, the rain will flow, and the snow usually melted well before the day was over. It'll come and it'll leave, as if it never happened.

Some would say it's a boring place. Lifeless more likely. Because it is.

".. As for him, he married his childhood friend. Yeah, shocking right? ... "

I'd usually ask myself. What am I doing here. I could find a thousand other hobbies to do during my free time and yet I chose to come here. Unfortunately, every time I try, I'd find myself here asking for suggestions.

Time felt as if it hasn't passed, even though it did, as it always would. Before I knew it, it has been an hour since I came.

The wind hasn't been blowing but the heat was tolerable. It seems the sun is being generous today.

"... Beetlejuice died for the 250th and final time last Saturday. I messed with the battery a bit but after a few effortless tries, I knew it was too late. I decommissioned it with honour and 25 rounds of the song 'Blackbird' by the Beatles. The other were devastated upon hearing the news. "

Beetlejuice was an old Volkswagen beetle we bought during our college days to get around. It has served the whole squad countless times and for 3 continues, tiring years.

We decided that by graduation we should drive the car towards the edge of a cliff and does a last minute jump before flying off and crashes into the rocks below, exploding into a million pieces.

But, she fell in love with it. We renewed some of the part, repainted the whole thing. Afterwards, it was a beauty. Not that it wasn't a beauty before, but it has more appeal.

".. You may already know about this, but our old teacher from high-school is also here. Somewhere..."

High-school. A short, bittersweet experience. High-school was the pinnacle of our teenagers life. A place to gain, lose, share, and to love. Some wished for it to last forever, but time has proven otherwise. Life goes on. Yet, every time the thought comes ringing, yesterday has never felt so close.

She was the flower of our glum trio. The best of friends in success and failures. We held on together from the moment we met till the day we threw our hats off to the world.

As memories fade, the route of which we took become less clearer. We'd wonder, 'where did it went wrong?'. Something that was so close, thrown into imbalance, and soon broke into pieces millions of miles apart.

Amidst the succession of flashbacks, I thought to myself, 'He was perfect for her'.

".. It was supposed to be him..."
".. And you were supposed to happy.. "

'He' was the missing piece of our trio. I was always an introvert, and she was the complete opposite, but him, he was different. He was the piece that settles the others from breaking apart. He's the gravity that settles the moon from crashing down to earth. From whatever catastrophe that the universe had prepared for us, he was there all the time.

Again, time played a crucial part in our story. They were in the American faculty and I knew that they had developed feelings for each other. I knew it. From the way they talked, laugh, and how their cheek reddens not from the heat of their own, but from one another. Just like anything that is affected by gravity, all it need was a push. Sadly, I too fell in love with the same woman.

But the heart that beats alone has no power against the ones that beats together.

"... Yet, he was foolish enough to do it.. "

By the end of September 2015, he, the man who was known for his calmness, humour, and integrity, was found dead in his room.

It was suicide.

For whatever reason, what he did was wrong.

The funeral was held on a cold, winter day, and was visited by all if not most of his closest friends. But she never came. It was too painful for her.

I was selfish, thinking I would have a chance now, but I knew she'd always choose him over me, even in a world he no longer existed, she would always choose him.

I cried but I wasn't sure whether it was for him, or for the fact that I lost both, my friend, and the woman I love.

"... It's getting late... "

I fiddled a small box within the palms of my hand, hesitating. I wanted to push myself even if it was too late. Even if there's no longer hope for me.

" Remember when you said that there's always a time for everything? Sadly I never found mine... "
"... I've always been the weakest one from the start yet I never thought I'd see myself as the last one."

" And before my time is over, I'd like to share a few things.

I, have always been in love with you. My shy demeanour hid most of it but every time I found myself staring at you, my insides flutters, my mind went crazy, and my heart skipped a beat. I lust over your attention and every time you told him about your day, I was always there, listening as if there was no sound that pierces my hearing except yours.

But I know you too well. What could I do, he was always the better man."

I opened the box, revealing a small ring inside, held firmly in between the cushions. The simplicity of the ring was not a sign of its shortcoming rather it's a way for all of the attentions to be paid fully towards the diamond that reflects perfectly for its size.

"I never knew what your size was, so it could be a little big"

I placed the ring softly on the ground as I caress the headstone. My heart aches and my eyes started to wear me down but it was her own wish to see that no one would cry again and as a friend, it was my duty to uphold the wish.

"If somehow fate brought us together in the next lifetime, would you be mine? "