My college was a beautiful campus of limestone buildings., located in a pastoral river town, which likely was a center of waterway oriented commerce 150 years ago when church grants had endowed the initial construction. Now, it was an exclusive school for children of the elite, and a few scholarship students like me. It also was a 6 hour train ride from the nearest airport , and my home was a thousand miles away. Student standby airfare got me most of the way. Unfortunately, it also meant arriving at the train station barely in time for the last overnight train that would get me to the college the morning. I absolutely had to be there on time to get my grant. I rushed through the station, impatiently grabbing the ticket from the vendor, then ran to the platform.
Despite the late hour, the platform swarmed with parents seeing kids off to school. I dashed straight into a coach, hoping for a good seat. Inside, the space was just as full, with travellers, seemingly already weary at the beginning of the trip, lifting valises into overhead bins, sorting reading material, discretely nipping from flasks, or attacking crosswords. I spied an empty window seat, conveniently in mid-car. I started to swing my bag into the overhead. Suddenly, a pair of long thin arms encased in orange cashmere swept across my path, as another passenger swung her packsack into my spot. I was enervated and agitated from a tiring day of travels. I wasn't about to put up with any hassles. I spoke as I turned, " excuse me, I think this is...". Then I stopped. I was speechless. The competing passenger was an angelic Asian goddess, about 5'7" tall, with straight black hair to her wasp waist. Her features were delicate, her dark eyes framed by lush lashes. The cashmere sweater was barely dimpled by the faintest hint of breasts beneath. As I drank in this vision, it registered that she completed her outfit with a long black wool skirt over boots that came just below her knees. She smiled. My heart stopped briefly, after which my chest filled with a heat I had never felt before. Her smile was like she was the sun, shining for the first time after an Arctic winter. She spoke, " Sorry, are you using both seats? I'm by myself, so I only need one. But if you need both, I'll go to another car."
" I'm alone too,"I replied. " Pick a seat."she smiled again, and I'm sure my legs melted. I steadied myself on the back of the seat.
"You don't mind if I have the window? I find the lights at night comforting. Leaving the city to return to school is so lonely, don't you think?"
Without waiting for an answer, she swung her splendid backside around, and did slid with gracefully into the window seat. She clearly was used to getting her way. I trudged to the rack at the back of the car, deposited my bag there, and returned to sit beside her in the aisle seat. I assumed that, as seat mates typically did on past trips, she would ignore me by turning to look out the window, leaving me only a shoulder for company. Instead, she smiled again. " I'm Julie, who are you," she said.
" Max, Max W-west", I stammered. She giggled. βOh great' I thought,βblew it again! I never know how to talk to girls.'
"What year are you in Max West?" Julie asked.
" Starting third. You?" I replied.
"I start med school next week," Julie said, which made her several years older than she looked, and older than me as well. Although she had no accent, Julie spoke in a musical cadence, or was it just that her friendly tone was music to my weary ears?