Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 11/29/2022
Snapshots
The train heading into London slows down as it pulls into Mile End station. The doors open and a young man jumps from the platform into the train tightly holding a football between his feet. How he did this without losing his balance is a miracle. Passengers look up startled, and then do the usual thing of looking away if anything remotely uncomfortable or unusual confronts them. The man is young with an aggressive air about him. Dressed casually in joggers and trainers, he spends the whole time dribbling the ball around his feet with the greatest skill. It was as if the ball is on an elastic. Three stops down the line, he jumps off the train back onto the platform with the football once again held tightly between his feet. He then proceeds to dribble the ball along the platform. You wonder how he will behave going up the escalator. Everything about him is macho, verging on aggressive. The unusual thing about him is that while showing all the passengers his considerable footballing skills, he holds a small black Swarovski gift bag tied with gold ribbon. This neat, elegant object is completely at odds with the macho football display. Who could that be for?
Walking up to the University, just round the corner from the British Museum, a tiger crosses the road, or I should I say a man wearing a tiger outfit. It’s unzipped to his navel revealing a tanned, taut body and the tiger headpiece is pushed up over his forehead. Where has he been and where is he going? It was lunchtime so I hope he wasn’t hunting for prey.
On the return train journey two ladies of a certain age with artfully highlighted hair sit and talk continuously, never listening to what the other is saying. Both ladies are beautifully dressed with lots of contemporary jewellery. Designer outfits or canny TKMaxx shoppers? The harsh lights of the train reveal they are struggling with late middle age. But full marks for trying. They’re talking about their exploits on the dating app, Hinge. Neither felt they had been successful. Wonder if they’ll keep trying?
Opposite them sits a lady with a weary looking face. She’s talking into her phone and the conversation centres around whoever is employing her. Apparently she had been asked to work late but she had a doctor’s appointment and didn’t want to miss that. She was worried about a mole on her stomach that had changed. Wonder what the diagnosis will be?
A beautiful Asian lady sits opposite me. Her hair is black and glossy and her skin is exquisite. She looks unhappy as she types furiously on her laptop. She also keeps checking her watch. She is wearing headphones attached to her laptop and suddenly barks ‘I’m not coming back, ever’. Wonder who she’s left?
A man gets on at the next station. He is formally dressed in a suit and tie which is unusual nowadays. He sits down carefully, put his headphones in and starts staring at the screen of his phone. His leg is jiggling in an agitated manner. I glance across and see he is watching porn. Wonder why he needs to do that?
Sitting at the end of the row is a tall, slender person with pink hair. The face is lightly made up and extremely attractive. But the noticeable thing is that this person has the most enormous feet. So, one thinks about pronouns. He, she, they. What might be correct? This person has a relaxed, happy face as they scroll through their phone. I try to be discreet because I’m fascinated, and then realise I’m being stared at. An eyebrow is raised, then a grin. I smile back.
All these people, all with lives being lived out on a train. Just snapshots of their day but intriguing all the same.
Snap Shots(Kristin Dockar)
Snapshots
The train heading into London slows down as it pulls into Mile End station. The doors open and a young man jumps from the platform into the train tightly holding a football between his feet. How he did this without losing his balance is a miracle. Passengers look up startled, and then do the usual thing of looking away if anything remotely uncomfortable or unusual confronts them. The man is young with an aggressive air about him. Dressed casually in joggers and trainers, he spends the whole time dribbling the ball around his feet with the greatest skill. It was as if the ball is on an elastic. Three stops down the line, he jumps off the train back onto the platform with the football once again held tightly between his feet. He then proceeds to dribble the ball along the platform. You wonder how he will behave going up the escalator. Everything about him is macho, verging on aggressive. The unusual thing about him is that while showing all the passengers his considerable footballing skills, he holds a small black Swarovski gift bag tied with gold ribbon. This neat, elegant object is completely at odds with the macho football display. Who could that be for?
Walking up to the University, just round the corner from the British Museum, a tiger crosses the road, or I should I say a man wearing a tiger outfit. It’s unzipped to his navel revealing a tanned, taut body and the tiger headpiece is pushed up over his forehead. Where has he been and where is he going? It was lunchtime so I hope he wasn’t hunting for prey.
On the return train journey two ladies of a certain age with artfully highlighted hair sit and talk continuously, never listening to what the other is saying. Both ladies are beautifully dressed with lots of contemporary jewellery. Designer outfits or canny TKMaxx shoppers? The harsh lights of the train reveal they are struggling with late middle age. But full marks for trying. They’re talking about their exploits on the dating app, Hinge. Neither felt they had been successful. Wonder if they’ll keep trying?
Opposite them sits a lady with a weary looking face. She’s talking into her phone and the conversation centres around whoever is employing her. Apparently she had been asked to work late but she had a doctor’s appointment and didn’t want to miss that. She was worried about a mole on her stomach that had changed. Wonder what the diagnosis will be?
A beautiful Asian lady sits opposite me. Her hair is black and glossy and her skin is exquisite. She looks unhappy as she types furiously on her laptop. She also keeps checking her watch. She is wearing headphones attached to her laptop and suddenly barks ‘I’m not coming back, ever’. Wonder who she’s left?
A man gets on at the next station. He is formally dressed in a suit and tie which is unusual nowadays. He sits down carefully, put his headphones in and starts staring at the screen of his phone. His leg is jiggling in an agitated manner. I glance across and see he is watching porn. Wonder why he needs to do that?
Sitting at the end of the row is a tall, slender person with pink hair. The face is lightly made up and extremely attractive. But the noticeable thing is that this person has the most enormous feet. So, one thinks about pronouns. He, she, they. What might be correct? This person has a relaxed, happy face as they scroll through their phone. I try to be discreet because I’m fascinated, and then realise I’m being stared at. An eyebrow is raised, then a grin. I smile back.
All these people, all with lives being lived out on a train. Just snapshots of their day but intriguing all the same.
- Share this story on
- 6
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
01/24/2023Thank you Kevin. That train journey, done weekly, is such a great place to observe the weird and wonderful!!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
01/24/2023Thank you. i was on that train again today and could have written chapter 2!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Radrook
12/03/2022Very interesting and nicely described. All these different intricate lives so close to one another and yet each a secret enigma. If only we could probe into those minds! What wonders and perhaps even shocking details we might see. The innocent looking might not be as inoccent as we had inmagined. The ones who look brutal might be the kindest person we ever met.
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
12/03/2022Thank you for reading. It certainly is intriguing to sit and wonder at your fellow passengers and what secrets they might be holding!1
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Shelly Garrod
11/29/2022Hi Kristin. I agree with Lillian this was a very enjoyable read. Your descriptions of your passengers are incredible. Great job.
Blessings Shelly
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
11/29/2022Glad you enjoyed it Shelly. Certainly lots of characters on the tube to London.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
11/29/2022What a fun snippet of train passengers! So descriptive, I felt I was in the seat next to you. A fun read!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
01/24/2023Thank you Lillian. That train journey is certainly a rich place for observation.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
01/24/2023I really enjoyed this fun train ride. Congratulations on short story star of the day!
COMMENTS (9)