Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Free Ride Home

The gaps between posts just get longer and longer. My life became focussed on much more personal stuff that I just didn't want to write about and neither have I had the time.

Hey Ho!

Anyway, if anyone still looks, here's a little snippet. I went to the cinema this evening with Carmen to see the new Indiana Jones film. Apart from annoying points like "how did the baddies catch up if that staircase had disappeared...?", (love preposterous stories but not keen on inconsistency!) it was good fun and we came out about as amused as we'd expected to be.

It is suddenly winter here and very cold when we came out about quarter to eleven. We walked around the corner to Carmen's bus stop and noticed that across the road the underground station was still open - a bit late for Bs As where the underground system generally shuts down about half past ten. Well, I had been about to start the fifteen minute walk home but a train could halve that, so I went to look.

The barriers were open, the lights were on and the escalators were still running, so I tripped down to the platform and - miraculously - a train was just approaching. Only when it stopped and the doors didn't open did I realise there weren't any people in it, so I turned and started walking back along towards the exit.... The driver's door opened and a head popped out, so I said, "Hi there, is that it then, all the trains stopped already?" and he said, "Yes, about twenty minutes ago, we're taking this one back to the terminus. Where are you going?" So I told him, he winked at his co-driver and they offered me a lift! I hopped in.

It was fab. Nothing huge or momentous, just a special little experience to treasure.

They let me through into the carriage via their cabin and I had the whole train to myself. It is only three stops but it felt so exciting passing through the empty stations along the way - no bustle, no sweat, no crowds, empty train merrily swinging around the curves like a girl skipping through daisies. That must be how the Queen experiences transport.

Thinking about it afterwards, I never felt unsafe and feel a bit guilty that I am even considering it now.

So, I'll just post that and see if it inspires me to take this up again.

Besos,
Rxx

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