TheGirlontheTrain
佚名/Anonymous
IhadthecompartmentonthetraintomyselfuptoRohana,andthenagirlgoton.Thecoupleseeingheroffwereprobablyherparents,theyseemedveryanxiousabouthercomfort,andthewomangavethegirldetailedinstructionsastowheretokeepherthings,whennottoleanoutofwindows,andhowtoavoidspeakingtostrangers.
AsIhadbecomeblindbythen,Icouldnottellwhatthegirllookedlike,butIknewsheworeslippersfromthewaytheyslappedagainstherheels,andIlikedthesoundofhervoice.
「AreyougoingallthewaytoDehraDun?」Iaskedherasthetrainpulledoutofthestation.
Imusthavebeensittinginadarkcorner,becausemyvoicestartledher.Shegavealittleexclamation,andsaid,「Ididn』tknowanyoneelsewashere.」
Well,itoftenhappensthatpeoplewithgoodeyesightfailtoseewhatisrightinfrontofthem.Theyhavetoomuchtoobserve,Isuppose,whereasthosewhocannotseetakeinwhatregistersmosttellingontheirremainingsenses.
「Ididn』tseeyoueitheratfirst,」Isaid,「butIheardyoucomein.」IwonderedifIwouldbeabletopreventherfromdiscoveringthatIcouldn』tsee.Ithought,providedIkeeptomyseat,itshouldn』tbetoodifficult.
「I』mgettingdownatSaharanpur,」thegirlsaid,「myauntismeetingmethere.Whereareyougoing?」
「ToDehraDun,andthentoMussoorie.」Ireplied.
「Oh,luckyyou!IwishIweregoingtoMussoorie.Ilovethemountains.EspeciallyinOctober.」
「Yes,thisisthebesttime.」Isaid,callingonmymemorieswhenIcouldsee.「Thehillsarecoveredwithwilddahlias,thesunisdelicious,andatnightyoucansitinfrontofalogfireanddrinkalittlebrandy.Mostofthetouristshavegone,andtheroadsarequietandalmostdeserted.」
Shewassilent,andIwonderedifmywordshadtouchedher,orwhethershethoughtmearomanticfool.ThenImadeamistake.「Whatisitlikeoutside?」Iasked.
Sheseemedtofindnothingstrangeinthequestion.HadshenoticedalreadythatIcouldnotsee?Buthernextquestionremovedmydoubts.「Whydon』tyoulookoutofthewindow?」sheaskedquitenaturally.
Imovedeasilyalongtheberthandfeltforthewindowledge.ThewindowwasopenandIfacedit,makingapretenseofstudyingthelandscape.Inmymind』seye,Icouldseethetelegraphpostsflashingby.「Haveyounoticed,」Iventured,「thatthetreesseemtobemovingwhileweseemtobestandingstill?」
「Thatalwayshappens.」shesaid.
Iturnedfromthewindowandfacedthegirl,andforawhilewesatinsilence.「Youhaveaninterestingface,」Icommented.Iwasbecomingquitedaring,butitwasasaferemark,fewgirlscanresistflattery.
Shelaughedpleasantly,aclear,ringinglaugh.「It』snicetobetoldthat,」shesaid,「I』msotiredofpeopletellingmethatIhaveaprettyface.」
Oh,soyoudohaveaprettyface,thoughtI,andaloudIsaid,「Well,aninterestingfacecanalsobepretty.」
「Youareverygallant,」shesaid,「butwhyareyousoserious?」
「We』llsoonbeatyourstation.」Isaidratherabruptly.
「Thankgoodnessit』sashortjourney.Ican』tbeartositinatrainformorethantwoorthreehours.」
YetIwaspreparedtositthereforalmostanylengthoftime,justtolistentohertalking.Hervoicehadthesparkleofamountainstream.Assoonassheleftthetrain,shewouldforgetourbriefencounter,butitwouldstaywithmefortherestofthejourney,andforsometimeafter.
Theengine』swhistleshrieked,thecarriagewheelschangedtheirsoundandrhythm.Thegirlgotuptocollectherthings.Iwonderedifsheworeherhairinabun,orifithungdownlooseoverhershoulders,orifitwascutveryshort.