Train Ride

George Madrid
12 August 1994


Arthur pulled his coat tightly around himself and hunched over in his seat,
trying to make himself smaller in the uncomfortable subway seat.  A pale
couple wearing black was sitting down next to him, and the man gestured at him
as he sat.  Arthur coughed and tugged on his coat again, trying to avoid
touching the man in his ratty tuxedo jacket and torn black slacks.  Surveying
the couple, he noticed the woman's legs in their old black stockings.  Her
skirt was too short and her makeup too heavy.  Hey boyfriend was talking
softly into her ear, and she put her head on his shoulder.  Arthur looked away
when the man in black start licking the woman's ear.

Across from Arthur was a woman in a business suit: shirt, jacket and straight
skirt.  She had tucked her briefcase between her feet and had a bouquet lying
on her lap.  Every few moments, she would read the card and stare into space.
Standing in front of Arthur was a young woman in a floral dress.  She was
holding the railing above his head and he could smell her deodorant.  The car
was crowded with people, and he considered offering her his seat but didn't.
The seat was his by virtue of longivity.

Arthur had been riding the subway for two hours and had no plans to get off
soon.  He had gone up to Alewife and down to Braintree and back again.  He
would probably make the trip at least once more.  Arthur was unlike most
T-riders.  They were all going somewhere, and so they got on and off as
quickly as they could.  Arthur rode all day watching the ordinary passengers.
He knew he was different.

The train left Charles Station and pulled out onto the bridge across the
river.  He was staring at the deodorant woman.  The evening sun was shining
into the car and through her dress.  The material was thin, and he could make
out a clear outline of her body underneath.  He glanced up and saw her glaring
at him and quickly looked at her feet.  Her toes stuck out of her Birkenstock
sandals and her nails were painted pink.

Arthur laughed to himself.  He understood her now.  She had gone home after
her last class and tossed her t-shirt and cut-offs on a chair.  Wrapped in a
towel she had chosen her favorite dress and lain it carefully on her bed.  She
had picked matching bra and panties, white probably, and lain them next to the
dress.  She had been looking forward to this evening all day.  In the shower
she hummed to herself, "I won't fear love."  She had toweled off and decided
to paint her toenails.  While waiting for her toes to dry, she half dozed,
thinking about her boyfriend.  An idea had formed in her mind; he would like
it.  Just before getting dressed, she had tossed the bra back into her drawer.

Arthur wondered what they had planned.  She wasn't dressed for dancing.  They
would probably do homework.  Or they might just sit around, perhaps rent a
video.  He glanced at her face.  She would spend the night, and her smile told
Arthur that she knew that already.  Arthur decided that she would get off at
Harvard.

As the train slowed to pull into Kendall Station.  Arthur found himself pushed
into the man in black next to him.  The woman had her arm around the man's
neck now, and her hand kept brushing his ear.  They were kissing now and he
angled himself to pull away from the couple noticing the ring on the woman's
finger.  The man had his hand on the woman's thigh and was running his thumb
back and forth under the hem of her skirt.  Arthur turned toward them even
more.  He was staring now.  The woman opened her eyes for a moment and saw
Arthur watching them.  She smiled at Arthur and winked, misunderstanding.  It
wasn't voyeurism, it was scrutiny.  He examined their faces, covered in white
powder and black eyeliner.  Their earrings matched.  Arthur decided it
wouldn't last.

Pulling out of Kendall, Arthur turned back forward in his chair.  Tiring of
his current subject, he fixed his eyes on a man who had just boarded.  The new
man was a couple years older than the others and had a beard.  He was watching
the woman in the flowered dress.  He walked over and asked her something.
Arthur couldn't hear over the train noise.  She looked at her watch and
responded, then she turned away again.  The bearded man leaned over and said
something else.  She smiled cautiously back at him.  He spoke again.  She
laughed and relaxed, speaking back.  The bearded man relaxed as well,
realizing he had won.  Arthur knew otherwise.  "Forget it," he muttered.
"She's in love."

The train stopped at Central Square and the couple in black left the train,
his hand feeling her butt as they walked.  Her skirt was too short and her
legs were too fat.  He watched them walk through the turnstile.  In the
silence before the door closed, he heard the bearded man.  "Yeah, probably to
the 'House of Blues.'  Want to come?"

"I'm meeting a friend," she said, but then "Maybe we can stop by later."  She
was feeling sexy, and she figured the guy was harmless.  Arthur laughed aloud.
The bearded man looked down at him and frowned as the train pulled away.
Arthur watched their conversation.  The man was intent, but the woman was
distracted.  She was good, laughing and talking back, catching his eyes, but
when he moved closer, she crossed her arms across her chest and backed up
slightly.  As they approached Harvard Station, she glanced at her watch more
often.  Pulling around the final corner, he heard her shout over the squeeking
wheels, "Good night.  Nice to meet you."  She moved to stand in front of the
door.  As the train stopped, she stepped forward into the door which failed to
open.  She pressed her hands against the door until it opened and sprang out
the door.  The bearded man watched her running to the stairs as he, himself,
walked more slowly out the train door.

As the train pulled out from Harvard, Arthur looked around.  Most of the
interesting people had gotten off.  The business woman was still sitting
across from him.  She smelled the flowers.  Arthur examined her left hand.
They were from her husband.  He figured she would get off at Alewife.  She
would leave the train, get into her car and drive home to Billerica or
Sudbury.  She would kiss her husband at the door and show him the flowers.
Then they would discuss where to get dinner.  After changing to jeans and
comfortable shirt, they would drive back into Boston to try a new Mexican
restaurant.  She looked like she enjoyed eating.  Over dinner, they would
discuss work and their weekend plans.

After stopping at Davis Square, the train was headed toward Alewife, the last
stop before the train turned around.  The business woman stood up and moved
toward the door.  Opening her briefcase slightly, she pulled a small set of
keys from the pocket.  Leaning back against the railing by the door, she
noticed Arthur looking at her, and she smiled.

When the door opened at Alewife, the woman got off.  Arthur watched the others
get up and move through the door.  They all had a place to go or someone to be
with, a promise of love or comfort somewhere.  Arthur sat and watched them
leave.  He waited for new passengers to arrive for the return trip to
Braintree.  Arthur was unlike the others.  He knew he was different.

-gm