A Bramalea station love story
It was a cloudy day, and the sun played hide-and-seek with the clouds. Jovan stepped off the bus, hoping to catch the 7:00 am train with the other commuters. However, the bus was running eight minutes late, forcing Jovan to put his best foot forward and hurry towards the Bramalea station.
Its a race against time. Between commuters, there was a secret race to get first in queue, and get a single row window seat.
So, Jovan walked fast. His steps grew each time when he steps, yet he blend along with with fellow commuters. Just in front of others, not far ahead as noticeable.
Though he was running on fumes, he refused to throw the towel just yet. As he reached train door. It shut in front him. Unable to board on train, Jovan looked that transparent blue glass door. Jovan felt that door as a person, showing him middle finger, whispering “Not today bro”. Alas, Jovan and many others missed the train. He sighed. Jovan glanced at his watch. The next train wasn’t due for another 40 minutes, so he opted to hail an Uber to the office, today. Suddenly, a thought struck him – why not take an extra hour and relish a hearty breakfast instead of his routine coffee and bread pasted with Nutella that he had packed for today and also same every day? After all, he had devoted six months to his project without ever arriving late or being taking leave. He paused briefly and started to tap on his mobile. An SMS to his boss. ” Need an extra hour for personal work”. That will do.
Jovan appreciated himself, to come up with breakfast idea with a reasonable reason. Smile flashed on his face with a satisfactory ending.
Jovan hoisted his bag onto his shoulders and started towards the main exit entrance of the station. As he was passing, he halts near exit, took a brief time to observe the diverse crowd of people streaming past him, representing many nationalities and colors. Some were engrossed in their phones, others were rushing to work, and a few were wandering aimlessly. Seeing many unnoticed things, for a moment, he felt like he was in the station for the first time.
He tapped his mobile map and located a nearby restaurant. The Bristo Café was just 200 meters from the station. He walk confidently towards the café, relishing the idea of enjoying a delicious meal before his workday commenced.”
Jovan spotted a chair adjacent to a plain window adorned with flowers and settled down comfortably. He placed an order for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. As he sipped his coffee, he realized that the restaurant brings reminisce of a place where he and his ex-girlfriend used to frequent during their college days. It had been almost a year since she moved back to Belgium, and their communication had dwindled from daily to weekly to monthly and had ceased altogether in the last few months. Jovan pondered over the time they had spent together and couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever find someone like her again. He let out a deep sigh and glanced at his watch, realizing that it was time to head back to the station to catch the 7:40 am train. He retrieved his jacket from the armchair and made his way to the station. The train was less crowded now, and he managed to find a seat.
As Jovan was reading news article in his phone. He caught a glimpse of a young woman looking at him intently from across the train. He tried to smile at her, but she did not smile back. Ignoring her, he indulged in his activity. However, he couldn’t resist stealing a glance at her after a few moments, only to find her still discreetly watching him.
Jovan wondered if he recognized the young lady watching him. He considered the possibility that she may have been a junior from his college. He then thought about the architecture company where he had completed his training period, and wondered if she could have been someone from there. If they both got off at the same station, he vowed to ask for her name. Given how challenging it was to run into someone twice in such a bustling train and a sprawling city, Jovan resolved to initiate a conversation with her.”
Union Station was the next stop. Jovan took his bag from his lap and rose to his feet. To his delight, she too stood up and followed him towards the train door. May be the perfect chance to strike up a conversation with her. Jovan took a deep breath, summoned his courage and put a sentence, ‘Hey, I noticed you looking at me. Do we know each other? You look familiar.’ Yes, this might be a nice opening line. The prospect of conversing with her excited him, and he murmured to himself, ‘Stay calm, Jovan.’
Jovan exit train and moved forward throwing a sideways glance at her. He waited at end of the escalator to find that appropriate time. He hoped to engage her in a stimulating conversation and perhaps make a new acquaintance.
He moved forward and waited her to reach up to him. He looked back. As she drew near, Jovan noticed that she was accompanied by a man in uniform. As they approached him, she kept her distance, and a police officer stepped forward and halted Jovan. ‘Excuse me, sir,’ the officer requested, ‘may I see your ID and know your name?’ Jovan was bewildered. “Sure, but what’s going on?” he asked. “We are conducting a check for a suspect who bears a resemblance to you”’ the officer replied. “She reported that you resemble the person who stole her mother’s bag last month from Bramalea station.”
Jovan pulled out wallet and presented his ID and a business card. Officer verified the contact number from Card with a call to Jovan’s mobile to end with a aloud ring. “An enquiry will be carried out to verify the details you provided” told the officer. Sir you can leave.
Jovan bolted, leaving the officer and the woman behind. His mind was racing as he muttered to himself, ‘Of course, of course. Now it all makes sense why she was giving me those secretive glances.’ Jovan looked over his shoulder to see her gazing at the card in the officer’s hand, talking to him. As she raised her head to look at Jovan, he suddenly averted his gaze to the crowd in front of him. To avoid any further awkwardness, he sprinted towards the tower ahead, disappearing into the thick crowd in front.
Jovan sat at his desk; he couldn’t help but reflect on the situation. Jovan start unearth how he misinterpret the woman’s intentions. While he had been admiring her and hoping to strike up a conversation, she had been viewing him with suspicion as a potential thief. Jovan felt embarrassed and foolish for not realizing this sooner.
He had been so focused on trying to come up with the perfect introduction to start a conversation with the woman that he had completely messed up the signals she had been sending him.
Jovan tried to forget all thoughts by opening his emails and read it loud in his mind.
Few days passed he continued his day as usual and remember not to get late again.
It was afternoon after lunch his mobile buzzed. On his screen notification he read “Hi this is Michelle”. He tapped to read further “I am extremely sorry what happened that day”. Message continued. “The coat you wear and curly hair and height matched yours with that guy whom I saw at a glance while he was stealing my mother’s bag. He darts out to train door and leaped over to the platform, just enough to close the door behind us. The reason I bother you again is that can I borrow you out for a cup of coffee tomorrow morning.”
Jovan wasn’t sure if he wanted to meet her again after what had happened, he replied with a cold shrug off SMS,
“No need I understand the situation and moved already.”
His phone hum for attention from her SMS. “Just a coffee, I want to make sure you forgive me and to end with a small good gesture talk”
Later that day there was many quick beeps back and forth on their phones. Michelle persisted and asked him to meet her near Bramalea station in Bristo café. Jovan was hesitant but eventually agreed to meet her. “why not? Maybe it’s good to clear the air and move on.”
The next day evening, Jovan arrived at the cafe to be greeted by
“Hey Jovan, over here!” It was Michelle.
Jovan walked over to her table, and they exchanged pleasantries. Michelle apologized again for what happened on the train and explained how the incident had affected her mother. They talked about their work and hometown. They discovered they stayed near, had common favorite restaurant and pub. They spend many hours over coffee and burgers.
As they were finishing up, Michelle asked, “Would you like to hang out sometime again?” Jovan smiled and replied, “Sure, that would be nice.” That day they exchange a consideration for their future.
Jovan couldn’t help but think about how things had changed since that day on the train. He never would have thought that he would end up having coffee with the woman who had accused him of being a thief. Life was full of surprises, he realized.
Many months passed; Jovan joked his first impression on her glance on him.
Many years passed, Michelle start include that Stealer in their Family Day dinner prayers, Jovan and kids joining her.
Thief might have stolen the bag, but her love was stolen by Jovan.
This story was inspired, while I travel in train. A question pop up in me. I wonder how hard it will be to find a reason, two unknown people talk to each other and fall in love. I had seeing many folks glued to their mobile screen looking for that perfect date in many money milking apps. My dear commuter folks never look up and smile to others. Afraid of personal space, afraid of rejection, afraid of racism, afraid of culture and language barriers, afraid of miss pronouncing names and their genders, covid protocols. All I see is dis connected and more barriers in this a town we call Toronto. There will be no Michelle or any thief to make you talk to someone. That is the reality