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| Photo from my Tumblr |
As the train passed by, I saw fragments, broken images and distorted colors, like a skipping roll of film; its faint lights blinking from a distance.
It was a particularly cold night as I stood on the deserted platform of the train station and watched the fluorescent lights flicker. The wind blew the short strands of hair that were tickling my forehead.
The doors slid open and I took a step inside the cart, taking a seat inches away from an old lady cussing on her cell phone. As the train rocked me back and forth, I took a deep breath. I was able to get through another day.
Sometime during my daily commute, I saw her.
She was leaning on the metal pole, wearing a black sweater and reading the first few pages of a book. I noticed how gracefully her fingers moved with every flip of the page and how thoughtfully she read through every word, trying to hide her smile. I watched her run her hands through her auburn hair and how perfectly it fell and framed her face. Her small nose was tainted with freckles, and when she did smile, there were faint lines around her eyes.
I have never, in my mundane and exceedingly ordinary life, have seen someone so beautiful.
She looked at me and smiled, but right before I could muster enough courage to say hello, she got off the train. I watched her walk away.
I never saw her again after that. That's how things are these days. Short-lived. Instantaneous. Never absolute, always unsure.
But in between the dull nights, robotic movements and unnoticed moments, I will remember her grace and shameless quirks, and how she beamed in the most effortless manner. I will remember her.
