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VIII

           The only reason I wanted to go to the bar was to be with him a little longer, for after he had refused the offer, I excused myself and lied that I didn’t feel very well, and had better go back home to rest. We said our good-byes as we parted away again, not knowing when we will meet again.

            I made my way to the train station, moving slowly among the falling snow, buying a ticket, getting on the train, the murmurs of too many peoples passed. I stared at the number ‘21A’ on my ticket, as I walked slowly among the rows of seats, feeling the presence of the town I had once called home. I had entered through the back entrance of the train, so the numbers pasted on the armrests diminished as I pushed past on, going past old men and children, women with nothing more to do, men with nothing else to tell.

            “Excuse me, is anyone seated here?” I asked as I approached my seat, even though I already knew the answer. I just asked for the sake of courtesy, I guess.

            That’s when he turned around, and he started to say “No, no one is…”, and then stopped dead and looked at me, his eyes wide with surprise, mouth still unclosed with shock. I didn’t know if he was surprised to see me, or shocked at the surprised look I had on my face.

            We stayed like that in a forever time, each staring into each other’s eyes, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do. But stare, see if we could see past each other’s reflections, past that surface life of ours, past the heart and soul that we carried inside.

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