Riding Metro North. With Weary.

Posted on by Live & Learn

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It’s the late evening train.
Metro North to New Haven.
The Quiet Car.

On my left, sits Stoic.  No book. No smartphone. Hands on her lap. Eyes dead ahead.

On my right, sits Dude. Head down, tapping his keys, ear buds pumpin’.

Across, sits Weary.  Head back on head rest. Eyes closed.  Tinted transition glasses. Lightly salted side burns.  Hair, jet black, neatly coifed, perhaps too much so.  A Pabst Blue Ribbon Tallboy rests on the floor between his black loafers.

Weary’s eyes pop open and catch me. I avert.

Stoic sits stoic.
Dude is bangin’.
Weary reaches down for the Tallboy, takes a swig, sets it down, leans his head back and swallows deeply.

Then, sighs.

One long day, is greeted with family, dinner, dog and rest.  Another long day, his, looks longer, hanging from Faulkner’s meagre and fragile thread, hanging on the edges, solitary before sinking back into darkness.

I stand to grab my coat.

His stare upward to the ceiling remains unbroken.

He catches me again, we connect and break as I exit the train.

I’m walking home.

Family.
Dinner.
Dog.

And Rest.

Notes:

43 thoughts on “Riding Metro North. With Weary.”

  12. As soon as I saw “Metro North” I knew this was going to be a good one. I save such posts to read last as I’m going through everything because I know I’m going to be treated to a slice of written dessert. You’re becoming life’s witness, my friend. Thank you.

  15. I love observing people too! I find everyone so interesting. Writing about each one (which you do so very well) reminds us we all have our own unique way of coping in this big wide world. Wonderful writing Dave. Get’s everyone in like a sitcom. “Next episode….”Stoic” woman makes eye contact with “Weary” but “Dude” distracts them with his loud head banging music and “Observer” keen to know what happens…has to get off at the next stop!! Ha

    1. Smiling. Thank you Karen. I like the sitcom reference. Interesting. Shame one can’t follow them on their way to the rest of the day just to see, feel and experience their day.

  18. I take the metro often, but not late at night. I’ve seen the same guys, though, here in Paris. It really is hard to make conversation in the train, really hard.

  19. I’ve been cycling of late and not kept up online. Silly me. If only I’d read this when it was posted, I could have carried the beauty around in my pocket and reached in to touch it when the day got hard. Silly me.

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