CHAPTER 2 – A TRAIN RIDE

In the end, PJ decided to tell them his story…

It was an hour or two past lunch when the sun was shining brightly on a rare post-winter weather in Sydney. PJ was enjoying this random day and decided to go out instead of staying home for the day. It was a Sunday, and he felt it would be good time to relax before the week starts all over again.

Although it was sunny day, he wore a grey wool-lined jacket, a grey and white polo-shirt with dark blue jeans and black rubber shoes. A relaxed outfit considering he rarely got to wear it due to having to wear a suit during his work week.

He was at St Mary’s train station waiting for the train to arrive. Around him, he noticed there wasn’t that much of a crowd even on a Sunday afternoon. It rarely happened since it was a bright sunny day and you’d expect people to be going about and enjoying the rare weather.

The station was a small one, it had a red-brick floor, a small blue roof which covered a third of the floor space. At the end of the station a small one-story structure stood, it served as an office for the train attendants, a toilet and a small convenience store was located there was well to serve passengers’ need to top-up their opal cards or buy food and beverages.

The train was running on time when PJ looked up on the screen which indicated the travel schedule and destination, it showed the train would arrive in 2 minutes.

He looked up to the sky and smiled, hoping it would be a good day. He had a very stressful month and he needed to keep his mind off work. He was listening to some music and was enjoying the tranquility it brought.

Woot Woot

PJ’s thoughts drifted back to reality and looked to his right-side and saw the train heading his way. He looks at the train as it went pass him as it comes to a full stop, and randomly looks up to the upper carriage of the train.

At the very moment when he glanced up, that is when he saw her. His eyes met hers coincidentally, this caught him by surprise but he smiled at her. But what surprised him the most was she smiled back at him, the sweetest smile he’s even seen for a very long time. It may have seemed like only a few seconds, but time seemed to slow down for him; it felt like an hour, month or a year has passed him by.

‘Doors closing’

PJ’s attention returns to reality after hearing the attendant announcement. He realises he has to board the train or it would leave him. So he rushes in, and stops for a second in front of the stairs. He takes a deep breath before climbing up to the upper carriage, his heart was beating non-stop. It felt like he was walking up the stairs in slow motion, or he was climbing a never-ending staircase. He was having second thoughts thinking; ‘Should I talk to her? Should I look for her? What if it was only coincidence or someone she knows was behind me?’, these thoughts made him more anxious.

Upon reaching at the top of the stairs, he looks to his left-side and once again finds himself looking at her face to face, their eyes meeting each other. He slowly approaches her, and asks if he can sit with her. She gives him a smile and gently nods her head.

He slowly sits down, but while doing so looks at her like she was just his imagination. It felt like it, but he knew this was real and he was not day dreaming. He noticed she was wearing this light blue denim jacket and a simple but elegant black dress. What he saw was a simplicity which showed her confidence, yet it was a confidence which brings warmth to a person. It somehow draws him in, just like a moth to a flame. He felt she was going to be someone who’s going to take him to a roller coaster ride. He took another deep breath, gathered his resolve and tried to calm his beating heart. Then he smiles and tried to introduce himself to her.

‘Hi! I am PJ… I noticed you outside the train, and just couldn’t help to smile at you. May I know your name?’ While introducing himself, he slowly extends his hand out hoping she would shake it and reciprocate his introduction.

She slowly turns to him, and takes his hand to shake it while smiling at him. Her hand felt soft as a pillow, an electricity ran through his hands straight to his heart. The feeling made PJ feel like his heart had skipped a beat, and kind of re-started it. In his mind, he says to himself ‘looks like I am in trouble’.

‘Wait a second…’ Ivan interrupts PJ’s recollection of his story.

‘Are you seriously telling me, you were thinking and feeling those things when you just met this girl? You didn’t even tell us anything about her, you only said how she looked amazing but we can’t really picture her out from your description. Was this all in your head maybe?’ Ivan continued on, while keeping a face which was ready to burst out to laugh.

PJ sighs and looks at Ivan seriously. ‘Alright, I’ll describe her more in detail but you are interrupting me.’

While he was telling this to Ivan, he catches Lizzy gazing at him like she was a little girl listening to a story book being read by her dad before she went to bed.

On the other hand, Jason was actually the calm one amongst the bunch. He was laid back while sipping his beer draught and seemed to enjoy PJ’s story. He had a pensive look of trying to grasp the story and imagine it while PJ was narrating what happened and why he was distracted.

Interestingly, during PJ’s storytelling the pub was slowly getting crowded and they had to share the couches with some other patrons. Unexpectedly, most of them were ladies who overheard PJ telling his story and seemed to take interest in what he was sharing to his group.

However, they were trying to act like they were not listening. This made PJ smile, considering he was such an observant person he noticed them since the moment they sat down on the same couch as them.

One of the ladies turned to Ivan, she was wearing a red dress with a black blazer on top, and said to him, ‘Excuse me, it’s Ivan right?’

Ivan staggered, and wondered what she wanted from him. He was thinking maybe she liked him, so she might ask for his number. So he replied ‘Yes’. While flashing one of his famous charming smiles which got him out of trouble, or brought trouble to someone else.  

The lady in red looks at him and says,

‘Can you please let him continue?’

Everyone around them froze for a second, then laughed out loud. PJ smiled at the lady and says, ‘Alright girls and boys, calm down. Let me continue the story’.

PJ was enjoying every second of having her there beside him, a weird sensation of calmness with a tinge of excitement randomly igniting something which has been dormant inside of him for quite some time. It surprised him so much, he never expected he would feel this way after such a long time.

While these thoughts were running through his mind, he took a good look at her and saw she had this beautiful hazel eyes which showed a depth he couldn’t seem to explain. She had a shoulder length wavy hair, framing her face which radiated with intelligence and wisdom beyond her years, yet keeping a child-like atmosphere; a feeling which you just want to hold her and never let her go.

Her smile, which captivated him when they first caught each other’s eyes draws him in, and for a reason he himself could not explain. She had petite build yet it felt like she had an air of energy which can be quite contagious.

As she took his hand to shake, she softly says.

‘Hi PJ, its nice to meet you!’

‘I just randomly looked out the window and found us looking at each other, that kind of surprised me.’  

PJ wondered what she might be thinking when she saw him. He was actually speechless at that moment wondering what to say and what to do. All he wanted was for this moment to last longer, for her to talk to him.

‘Me too actually’ He slowly stammers

‘I was just enjoying the weather and view when the train arrived, and when it stopped, didn’t expect we would be looking each other eye to eye, at that exact moment.’ He shared to her.

‘Hmmm… I thought you were just trying to catch my eye…’ She says.

This caught PJ by surprise but then she suddenly laughs seeing his embarrassed expression. He wasn’t expecting her to make a joke about it, and found it quite cute. He felt she was quite friendly, letting him sit beside her and now even joking although at his own expense.

‘Actually, I was.’ He replied, trying to see what her reaction would be. And unexpectedly, she blushed when he said this. He didn’t expect her to react this way, he must’ve surprised her with his reply. She must have not expected him to actually reply with such a statement.

‘Just kidding’ He winks at her while smiling.

This light banter helped set the mood, it encouraged the both of them to talk animatedly, it seemed like they didn’t notice their surroundings or where they were going already. People came and went, as the train travelled from station to station. But for PJ and the girl he met on the train, it seemed like they were in their own little world. They were oblivious of what was happening and was focused on each other, enjoying each second of their conversation.

They sat there sharing stories of their lives and for PJ, it felt like a safe haven for him. But in close inspection you would notice PJ was already over thinking thing, with these thoughts running around his head:

“When I am with her my guard is down, all the bricks I’ve laid out to build a wall vanish into air. I’ve had my share of heartaches, PJ muses but it all seems to disappear or didn’t exist when I was talking to her.

Some people might think I am calm and collected, but deep down inside is a raging sea. Crashing about with all these thoughts, memories and feelings rumbling and creating chaos inside my head, and in my heart.

She herself has gone through so much as she shared to me, and I know in her thoughts, she has the same experience of having conflicting emotions running around creating a burden on her heart. And yet what I see is her vibrant personality which is open to the world. Whereas, I am scared of letting someone in again after going through so many failed attempts, it could freeze your heart. But now she is warming it up again for me, just for being there.”

‘Next stop Central Station’ The train attendant announced through the P.A system.

The announcement caught their attention, and they realised they’ve been talking for an hour already.

‘So, where are you headed off to’ asks PJ

‘Why do you ask? Wait… Oh no! Are you planning on following me?’ She quips

PJ laughs and knows she is teasing him, and replies ‘What if I did? Would you mind me following you?’

She looks at him with a serious face, and replies ‘I wouldn’t mind it at all, but I’d rather you walk with me than you following me.’

PJ could only sheepishly smile, but tells her ‘I would love to walk with you, wherever it is you are going.’