Brief Encounter

He watched her across the crowded station. He was here every day, yet he had never seen her before. He wondered if she was lost, she looked around her, eyes scared, constantly moving. He wondered if he should approach her, check that she was alright. He thought better of it; a stranger approaching in a crowded station was more frightening than reassuring. He watched the other passengers in the station; did they seem aware of her discomfort? No, each trapped in their own private world, none noticed her dismay.

The noise of the train entering the station made him jump; passengers pushed and shoved, each in a hurry to get to their destination. Not him, he didn’t move. Eyes glued to the place on the platform he had last seen her, he wondered if she had left. As the crowds cleared he saw her. She hadn’t moved. This time he was brave, caught her eye, and gave a slight nod of the head. She looked blankly at him, and then turned her head. Shy or aloof? He couldn’t tell. Still he stayed on his side of the station, the tracks separating them. He fidgeted nervously from one foot to the other. He wanted to talk to her. She had held him captive; he would go right over and introduce himself. If he didn’t try he would forever wonder. As he pondered the best way to introduce himself he noticed a man approach her. Big and burly, complete with cloth cap and roll up. The man bent to her and spoke “come on now my lovely, let’s be havin’ you” Lifting the wicker basket the man lifted the pigeon basket and carried her out of his sight. He sighed, a racing pigeon was far out of his league, and he was a simple railway bird.