Memory of my local train station

When I was a high school student, I used to take the train from the nearest local station every morning.  Trains came frequently during morning time.  It came usually every five to ten minutes.  I always got on the same train and stood in the same spot near the train door.  After a while, I noticed that the same people were there with me each morning.  I didn’t know their names, and I never asked which schools they went to, but from their uniforms and bags, I assumed they were also high school students.

 

I usually traveled alone, so the routine of the morning train became something I looked forward to.  During the ride to the station where I got off, I often listened to their conversations. They talked about homework, teachers, club activities, and sometimes their boyfriends.  I never spoked to them and I never even said “good morning” to them.  We   shared the same space and time.  So, it felt as if we were part of a team, commuting to school together every day.  Secretly, I felt a quiet connection to them.  

 

When one of them was not on the train, I found myself worrying.  I wondered whether she had overslept, or she was sick.  Even though we were complete strangers, their absence made my morning routine feel incomplete.