I stood on the hot train platform trying my best to squeeze into the sliver of shade that was falling on the pavement. The strap from my bag was causing a strip of sweat to spread over my shoulder. With nowhere to sit, I had little choice but to stand in front of the train doors, waiting for the whim of the conductor to open them. I was on my way home after a long day at work. I took the 5:25 train every day, but this time got stuck at work so I was waiting for the 6:55 (which took 45 minutes longer to get home) train to allow me inside it. I was already irritated about having to work late and getting home later than was ideal, the fact that we were experiencing a heat wave that was causing me to sweat at 6:40 in November wasn't helping anything.
Finally, with what I imagine someone thought was a pleasing series of harmonic tones, the doors parted, allowing the travelers to escape the unseasonable sun. I climbed the four stairs and turned to the right. I had a very specific train strategy, given that I ride it every day. I always went for the last car, it generally would fill up more slowly than the others, but given the late hour of this train it probably didn't matter. Each car had two sections of seats, both facing toward the middle of the car. I always chose the side that was facing in the direction of travel, so that I wouldn't be riding backwards. Each section had an upper and lower seating area. The lower was two standard rows of double seats. The upper was basically two walkways along either side of the train, each with a single row of seats. I always sat up there so that I wouldn't be forced to sit next to someone; I liked my alone time on my commute home. And finally, it was important to not sit on the sunny side, especially on a day like today. That was something that the amateur travelers rarely considered.
As I moved into the forward facing side of the train, I immediately noticed that the air conditioning wasn't working properly. Shit, just what I needed. I pushed on through to the next car, feeling the cool air as I walked through the connecting door. Ok, that wasn't so bad; I would just be one car off from my regular routine, but well worth it for the air conditioning. I made my way down the aisle toward the stairs so I could set up to my solitary seats.
"Excuse me, does this train go to Richmond?"
I turned to see the questioner. It was a petite girl, probably about 19. She had a slight grunge look going. Her loose tee shirt was ripped in a few places and hung off one of her shoulders. She had a black pleated skirt on, that was moderately short. She had 3-4 piercings in each ear along with a thin ring through her nose. Her jet black hair was pulled back in a loose pony tail and she had bright red lipstick on. She definitely wasn't the normal commuter one would encounter on these trains; judging from the bag she carried, I guessed she was a student at the local art school.
"Uh, no. No, this train doesn't stop in Richmond," I replied, consulting the schedule posted right next to the stairs. It could be a little tricky for someone to read a schedule if they weren't familiar with it.
"Fuck!" She shocked me slightly with her language. Not that I didn't have a foul mouth myself on occasion, but generally not with strangers I had just met.
"Is there anything that will get me close?"
"Ya, let's see. You can get off at Yountville, they have a bus line that will get you there pretty quickly."
"Ok, thanks for the help, mister." She turned and started up the stairs.
"Wait." I'm not sure what made me grab her arm. It was probably inappropriate to do to a girl over 10 years younger than me, and the word would have probably halted her just fine. I tried to play it off, and quickly dropped my hand.
"You'll want to sit on this side; it doesn't get as much sun."
"Thanks!" She smiled appreciatively and flounced up the other stairs. I couldn't help but watch and got a generous helping of legs as her heels clicked up the metal steps. I could just see the curve of her cheeks before she stepped out of sight, indicating that she either wasn't wearing underwear or had a thong on. I climbed the stairs after her, thinking it was well worth giving up my sunny side secret for the brief view of her butt cheeks. I walked down the aisle, shuffling past the empty seats. I always aimed for the second to last seat, and it looked like it was still open. The very last seat in each upper row was actually two seats, as the aisle was no longer needed. This was a popular one since you could typically spread out a little more. However, I never took the risk of having someone sit next to me, so that seat was out.
As I sat down in my customary seat, I saw that my new friend had taken the double seat at the end. Her bag was lying on one side while she was lounging on the other, reading some sort of pamphlet. I couldn't help but notice her thigh that was showing since her skirt rode up just slightly when she sat down. I prepared for my standard train routine. Each day after work, I had 45 minutes in between the stresses of my job and the pressures of being home. I was very grateful for both; I had a good job in a bad economy, and I had a beautiful wife in a wonderful home. But the pressures of each could get to me. My wife worked much more than I did, so when I got home the burden of dinner and cleaning fell to me. But the 45 minutes in between both (75 min today, since I was on a slower train) was my alone time; a period of time during which I could zone out and not have to be responsible for anything. The train would get me home, without any effort expended by me. I typically got a beer on the way to the station and sipped on it while reading which ever book or magazine had my attention at that time.
The train jerked as it pulled out of the station. The axles squealed as they started spinning faster. I had grown to love the sounds of the train as it moved, connecting the noisiness with tranquility. As the motion of the train coupled with the sounds, I began to slip off into the coveted mindless state in which I no responsibilities or concerns. Just as all I was entering that state I felt a tap on my shoulder.