In Between the Lines

I met you on the platform during the chaos last night. I was the short shy asian guy wearing the khaki jacket. You were also an asian girl wearing a long dark coat, and a tuque with some writing on it with some sort of symbol of a flower. We waited for about an hour while several trains went by. We were in an impromptu group that formed waiting for a newer model train to meet us right on the spot we took where the doors would open. I said it would be worth it since we would be the first ones in while the rest of the sheep ran to and fro to get to the train doors. We laughed at the fact that despite our efforts, several older trains passed. None of them had doors facing where we were standing. We couldn't win. You commented about your travel problems at Newark Airport in Jersey and how you barely made your connection once. I talked about the chaos at LAX airport. You jumped on a train once when there was a spot, but suddenly, you jumped off saying it wasn't the train you were trying to catch. You were trying to get to Brentwood. I knew that, despite that, any train out of downtown would just work, and you could've switched around Columbia Station where there would be no crowds. So, we waited for a bit longer. We talked on about missing our meet ups with friends, and how we all wanted to get home. You joked about how at this point, you might be seeing your coworkers who get off at 6, and a friend who might've been stuck at Commercial-Broadway station since no trains would be stopping there. Finally, you managed to get a spot on a train after about an hour of waiting, but I couldn't get on. You then suggested to try to squeeze in, but I couldn't make it. Before I could ask your name, the doors closed, and all I could blurt out was a "good luck." You were a kind soul with a beautiful laugh, and in that brief interlude between the spaces and connections in our daily lives, there was a warmth there. I'd like to meet you again and laugh and complain about transit over a coffee sometime if you ever see this. Maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to make it to our destinations where ever that may be.

When: Thursday, January, 16 2020

Where: Burrard Skytrain Station - Eastbound Platform

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