One more train story

I don't want to over do it with the train stories (although I do have a daily report on a forum I am a member of) but will just do a couple more and then change the subject. So far I am regularly observing five people, a couple I speak to, the others I just listen to.

Peace Angel - I am still stalking train man, but he hasn't been on the train for the last few mornings. One day last week I was in a quandry.

I was sitting at the station and I noticed this radiant young woman/girl. She looked like Kate Hudson in the movie Almost Famous, but prettier. She was dressed in faded green mens work overalls that were covered in white paint with the bib and brace hanging down. She had on a white long sleeved white T shirt with a greenie motif and a green peace sign around her neck.

She was like an angel amongst the dull commuters. I was torn between stalking her or getting in my usual carriage to see train man. In the end I got into the carriage that train man is usually in and the train left the station. He was not in the carriage! I looked into the next carriage and saw Peace Angel talking to another young woman.

I couldn't help myself, at the next station I quickly changed carriages and sat near them. As I sat down she gave me the most beautiful smile. I looked out the window and listened to bits and pieces of the conversation. She had a lovely down to earth manner about her and when she was getting off at her station, an older 'bag lady' type lady, hunched over with greying hair shuffled towards her. Peace angel gave her a radiant smile and moved to let her pass. Beautiful. I haven't seen her since.

Street Kid - A few weeks ago, a young street kid in a hoodie and a well dressed business woman got on the train together. They were chatting away and I could see he had a bit of a learning disability. I was wondering about their relationship, I wondered if she could be his carer or youth worker. But the more I listened, I realised they had only just met as she was asking him about his hobbies etc. When we got off to catch the connecting train, I noticed they went their separate ways.

Last night Clara (dog vomit car girl) got on at her station. She looks out for me now and chats to me non stop all the way home. She sometimes asks me really personal questions (I know serves myself right) and I am forced to answer her with the whole train listening, so I just mumble and give as little information as possible. For example I said I was visiting my parents on the other side of town next week. She said, I thought your mum lived near me. I said she does, they are separated. She said so did you grow up in my area and I said no, the other side of town.

So then she wanted to know all about why my dad got custody when they got divorced. Anyway, in the middle of this conversation we pull into a station and people get off and two seats are free. We sit down together and as soon as I sit down, a young man in a hoodie beside me starts showing me winter coats in a Rays Outdoors brochure.

I recognised him as the street kid talking to the business woman a couple of weeks ago. He is the kind of person that I can't decide whether to hug or run away from. We were talking about the coats and I suggested he look in the op shop for a warm coat, he wasn't keen on that idea, thought he would catch nits.

After I got off, he kept talking to Clara and she told me today that she normally wouldn't chat to someone like him (he is almost scary) but thought she would continue the conversation seeing I had been talking to him before I got off the train. Turns out he is an outpatient and is doing a traineeship in catering.

If I see him again, I am going to take him to the op shop near my station and buy him a coat.