What a pain but because of record snowfall and all the resulting delays, the trains were filled up and there was no where to sit. Squeezed in amongst all the other not so happy passengers, I made the best of it and simply thought about the work day ahead - when and if I would ever get there.
There was this nervous-looking lady seated below and she was glancing around with an uncomfortable look on her face.
"Excuse me sir," she said tapping my elbow lightly. "I hope you don't mind me saying this. I have an awful dilemma, and I was hoping you might help me."
"Sure, what can I do for you?"
"Well you see, actually I do not have a ticket for first class but got squeezed here anyway without me realizing it, until it was too late that is..."
"Yes..."
She gazed down as if a child caught red-handed, and she continued a little less nervously now that she had gotten it out of her system, "So seeing that you are standing up, and that you probably have a first class ticket, it just didn't seem fair you having a first class ticket, and me taking up your seat..."
It took me a couple seconds to figure out where she was getting at, but then I understood her.
"Oh I understand. Don't worry about." I nodded as if I was giving the poor nervous lady permission not to fret.
"I don't care; just enjoy it while you can, alright?"
"Oh thank you, thank you very much sir."
We spent the rest of the half hour saying nothing further, until it was time for her to stand up and exit the train. We only glanced briefly at each other, as if we were sharing a delicate secret which no one would ever know about.
After that the odds were that we would never see each other again.
