Darkness

Robert’s mind wandered around his deadline, even while he rested his head on the glass window. He had to complete a week’s work in just one night. And the train was an hour away from home. If he had a list of things he hated, it’ll only be 4 words long. 

1. Rescheduled Deadlines.
2. Late trains.

“Dear, what’s the next station?” The woman next to him gave a mild shock. It wasn’t everyday that the commuters talked to each other and she didn’t seem like a daily commuter, either.

Robert had a look outside the glass pane and turned to her, “Wolfshire. Where do you have to get down?”

“Wolfshire.” She smiled sheepishly and fetched dark glasses from her purse and placed them neatly over her nose. “Guess I should get going.” She stood up but the train’s jerk pushed her back down.

“What happened?” Her expressions confused, just like Robert’s.

“Think the train doesn’t want you to go, just yet.” He forced a happy tone, suppressing the irritation underneath. “However, the electric supply is gone.”

“Oh dear, that’s trouble for you. Ironically, my internal lights have gone off long ago.” Her words left a trail. “Could you do me a little favor and tell me what’s going outside?”

Robert was already tired after a long day at work, but he didn’t feel like it was her fault, so he shrugged and looked around.

“​It’s almost dusk. The sky has turned plump orange and the clouds look like waves coming from the ocean.” Robert paused to check if she’s listening and continued.

Illumination

There is no residential area nearby but I can see a few people. There’s a girl, learning to skate down the tiny hill with her father. Her father is holding on to her waist so she doesn’t fall but oh- wow- he isn’t holding her anymore and she can skate on her own!” Robert smiled to himself, reminiscing his days as a child.

“A few meters away, there are two men walking with arms around each other, enjoying the Autumn’s breeze having the time of their lives. I think they’ve heard something now, they’re running towards the sound. I can’t see what’s happening, they’re possibly below the street level.” He said, trying to stand and have a good look.

“Ten to twenty meters above them, there’s a herd of parrots. They’re too tiny as they’re kissing the sky but I’m sure they are parrots because back in my hometown’s tiny forest, we had a their homes.”

“The two men and the girl who was skating with her father were the only ones on that street but now there’s a small mob gathering around something. They’re all rushing in together, happy faces everywhere.” Robert’s mind isn’t in the train, anymore, it’s with the people on the road, pushing each other to get a glance of the source of the cute noise.

“Ah, now I see it. It’s a box of puppies, and there’s another! So, there are two box of cute stray puppies who’ll be apparently finding themselves a home today.” He sat back and thought how happy puppies make him and how nostalgic the parrots are. “We’re going home, too. The train has started, ma’am.”

But the ma’am had already vanished from her seat, he leaned from his seat to check if she was anywhere in the passage but he failed to spot her. Smiling to himself he silently thanked her and dozed off to a peaceful sleep.

©The Honest Fabler – Ashutosh Gursale

©Image source- Google Images