United and bound, for the moment, all separation of space and mood lifted, they brave knowing smiles, silently mark their shared enclosure and the frantic charge that had, but an hour ago, brought them, unmet, together.
“Hey, watch it!” he had yelled too harshly as she had plopped herself into the seat next to him, elbowing and butting him hard against the wall of the railcar.”
“What do you expect - you raced me for these seats, and these others were closing in fast to cut me off,” she had responded, but also catching the harshness in her voice.”
Both noted the simultaneous big, slow calming breaths as they took each other in, silently reading each others’ mood of regret, both searching for something to ease them back into the holiday spirit.
Together they looked at the mob still cramming into the center aisle “hey look, up front - a cross between Darth and Clint - holding his position just inside the door, surveying with the darkness of one and grim sneer of the other.”
She laughed and pointed the other way, towards the rear of the car “see there, his opposite, like a wizard, like Gandalf, he even has a staff - the picture of gleeful serenity, working his way, touching and hugging into the middle of the crowd - he can’t get thru for for that old couple, they look frightened and unsteady - and for this bunch hovering over us.”
“We should offer our seats.” They looked again at each other, again reading the same thoughts - this time of regret of losing these hard-won seats - but both know it was the right thing to do.
As we they started to rise and gesture - sharped-eyed and super alert, both Darth and Gandalf took note and asserted…
Darth targeted a dark-skinned young couple noisily chattering in foreign tongue - barking “you too, please, speak English - and kindly give those seats to this lady and gentlemen.”
Gandalf evenly sung in sweet tones “Thank you so much for offering” gesturing with a kindly wave of his hand as the maneuvered closer “no, sit, you lovebirds enjoy yourselves for the trip,” turning to a group of berka-clad folks in the seats as he drew close “won’t you join me in the aisle - we’ll have a marvelous chat - as allow these other kind folks to rest…”
<<::>>
Matters settled, faces equally red, they shared full throated laughs.
“Lovebirds?!” “I guess we look that way” “Oh well; we feel better, don’t we?” “Much” and they gave each other gentle taps.
Quieting, calming, peacefully reflecting on how just moments ago they had been part of that mob as the train slowed to a stop, both of them successfully aligning themselves perfectly to be one of the first to enter from opposite ends as soon as the doors slid open.
Comments