A Gloomy Train by Saki S
On this day, the train’s scene is no different from usual. The train is headed to an outer suburb from the center of the city. It is around 8 o’clock and today is a weekday so most of the passengers are workers. There are many people on the train. It is not so crowded but there is still no space to read a newspaper comfortably.
It was by pure chance that Chris got a seat. He is on his way to go to a certain laboratory. The laboratory is far away so he has to take the train for over an hour. He smiles at his bag and taps it. There is a thing in there that he should bring to show a scientist. It took more than about three years to invent this thing and he has just finished making it. He didn’t have enough sleep so he starts dozing as being jolted.
There is a man named Tom who is standing near Chris. He also wanted to sit down but a man who was next to him got on a seat instead.
Helen is hanging on to a strap and looking at an advertisement. She is a woman who is standing next to Tom but of course, she doesn’t know anything about Tom. It is not necessary for her to read an advertisement but she needs to look away to avoid smell from a man who is standing on the right side.
A young man whose name is James is glancing at Helen. He fell in love with her at first sight. He wants to see Helen’s face but he is sitting and from his seat it is difficult to see. He hopes that Helen is going to turn her face to him.
(Tom’s mind) I want to sit down!! Cheeze, I was robbed of a seat. This man moved a little before I did. I was so absent-minded for a moment that I couldn’t sit down. Maybe I drank too much so it is hard to stand still. By the way, why did this woman frown at me? What did I say? What did I do?
(Helen’s mind) What happened to this man!? What is this smell? I guess he drank too much and ate oily food. I can’t bear this smell any longer. When the train arrives to the next station, I should change my position.
(James’s mind) Oh, I’ve never seen such a beautiful woman like her. Please look at me!! I want to see your face from the front.
The train arrives at a station. Some people get off and some people get on. Maria is one of them who get on the train. She is 63 years old so it is hard to stand in the train. She wants to sit but there are no more empty seats. She goes in front of a young man who is reading a magazine. The young man is concentrating his attention on the magazine so he doesn’t notice. Maria changes her aim to another business man. The man notices Maria but he is very tired so he doesn’t want to stand up. The business man pretends to be asleep.
(Business man’s mind)I worked a lot. Our age is supporting the country so I don’t have to give my seat to this old woman. I will not give it to her, I won’t.
(Maria’s mind) What a bad man. I guess this young man pretends to read and this business man fakes to be sleeping. I am old, I am tired. They should give me a seat.
“Ma’am I wanna sit!!” Joe who is five years old says in loud and high-pitched voice.
“OK, OK, wait a moment. Let’s look for an empty seat. Oh… There are no more seats. Sorry I can’t find a seat for you, Joe,” his mother says. This parent and child got on the train at the same station as Maria. Joe is an only child and his mother takes care of him a lot so he is very selfish. Other passengers are regarding them as nuisance.
“Waaa. I am tired. Where is my seat? Ma’am!! I want to sit!! ” Joe raises a weird cry.
Andy is reading a book but he cannot stand that noisy boy.
(Andy’s mind) I want to continue reading and if I can sit, it is easier to read. However, this boy is too noisy but if I give him a seat then he will be quiet, I can give him. I will get off the train soon so I can stand up.
“Do you want to sit here, boy?” Andy asked Joe. Joe looked up at Julie and hesitates to answer.
“Really? Can he sit? Thank you so much,” Julie answers instead and Joe sits.
(Joe’s mind) If I cry, adults will be kind. Hehe, I got a seat!
(Julie’s mind) Finally, my cute son got a seat! The man understood how cute Joe is so he gave his seat to my son. Why didn’t other people give him their seat? Everyone should see that my son is very cute and sweet.
(Many Passengers’ mind) Thank you man! That mother should scold her son. What a noisy and selfish boy.
Time has passed. Chris is sleeping but hears the announcement and wakes up. He gets off the train just before the door closes. He hears some sounds from his bag. In his bag, there is a small gas cylinder. He notices that a valve has come loose and gas is leaking from the cylinder. The gas is very useful and it is made for the police. Some criminals don’t want to confess their guilt so they don’t say anything and be silent. However, police need to know what the criminals did. The gas can solve the problem. If the criminals breathe the gas, they speak out all of their thinking. By using that gas, police can coerce him into making a confession. It will take some time before they get the desired results. He looks at his watch and the watch shows exactly the time for gas to start working. He thinks people in the
train don’t know each other. Maybe they have nothing to say soon. I don’t have to care. Let’s go!
He looks back and tries to see the train but the train vanished into the dark night. Of course, all people in the train don’t know what is going to happen.
The End
It was by pure chance that Chris got a seat. He is on his way to go to a certain laboratory. The laboratory is far away so he has to take the train for over an hour. He smiles at his bag and taps it. There is a thing in there that he should bring to show a scientist. It took more than about three years to invent this thing and he has just finished making it. He didn’t have enough sleep so he starts dozing as being jolted.
There is a man named Tom who is standing near Chris. He also wanted to sit down but a man who was next to him got on a seat instead.
Helen is hanging on to a strap and looking at an advertisement. She is a woman who is standing next to Tom but of course, she doesn’t know anything about Tom. It is not necessary for her to read an advertisement but she needs to look away to avoid smell from a man who is standing on the right side.
A young man whose name is James is glancing at Helen. He fell in love with her at first sight. He wants to see Helen’s face but he is sitting and from his seat it is difficult to see. He hopes that Helen is going to turn her face to him.
(Tom’s mind) I want to sit down!! Cheeze, I was robbed of a seat. This man moved a little before I did. I was so absent-minded for a moment that I couldn’t sit down. Maybe I drank too much so it is hard to stand still. By the way, why did this woman frown at me? What did I say? What did I do?
(Helen’s mind) What happened to this man!? What is this smell? I guess he drank too much and ate oily food. I can’t bear this smell any longer. When the train arrives to the next station, I should change my position.
(James’s mind) Oh, I’ve never seen such a beautiful woman like her. Please look at me!! I want to see your face from the front.
The train arrives at a station. Some people get off and some people get on. Maria is one of them who get on the train. She is 63 years old so it is hard to stand in the train. She wants to sit but there are no more empty seats. She goes in front of a young man who is reading a magazine. The young man is concentrating his attention on the magazine so he doesn’t notice. Maria changes her aim to another business man. The man notices Maria but he is very tired so he doesn’t want to stand up. The business man pretends to be asleep.
(Business man’s mind)I worked a lot. Our age is supporting the country so I don’t have to give my seat to this old woman. I will not give it to her, I won’t.
(Maria’s mind) What a bad man. I guess this young man pretends to read and this business man fakes to be sleeping. I am old, I am tired. They should give me a seat.
“Ma’am I wanna sit!!” Joe who is five years old says in loud and high-pitched voice.
“OK, OK, wait a moment. Let’s look for an empty seat. Oh… There are no more seats. Sorry I can’t find a seat for you, Joe,” his mother says. This parent and child got on the train at the same station as Maria. Joe is an only child and his mother takes care of him a lot so he is very selfish. Other passengers are regarding them as nuisance.
“Waaa. I am tired. Where is my seat? Ma’am!! I want to sit!! ” Joe raises a weird cry.
Andy is reading a book but he cannot stand that noisy boy.
(Andy’s mind) I want to continue reading and if I can sit, it is easier to read. However, this boy is too noisy but if I give him a seat then he will be quiet, I can give him. I will get off the train soon so I can stand up.
“Do you want to sit here, boy?” Andy asked Joe. Joe looked up at Julie and hesitates to answer.
“Really? Can he sit? Thank you so much,” Julie answers instead and Joe sits.
(Joe’s mind) If I cry, adults will be kind. Hehe, I got a seat!
(Julie’s mind) Finally, my cute son got a seat! The man understood how cute Joe is so he gave his seat to my son. Why didn’t other people give him their seat? Everyone should see that my son is very cute and sweet.
(Many Passengers’ mind) Thank you man! That mother should scold her son. What a noisy and selfish boy.
Time has passed. Chris is sleeping but hears the announcement and wakes up. He gets off the train just before the door closes. He hears some sounds from his bag. In his bag, there is a small gas cylinder. He notices that a valve has come loose and gas is leaking from the cylinder. The gas is very useful and it is made for the police. Some criminals don’t want to confess their guilt so they don’t say anything and be silent. However, police need to know what the criminals did. The gas can solve the problem. If the criminals breathe the gas, they speak out all of their thinking. By using that gas, police can coerce him into making a confession. It will take some time before they get the desired results. He looks at his watch and the watch shows exactly the time for gas to start working. He thinks people in the
train don’t know each other. Maybe they have nothing to say soon. I don’t have to care. Let’s go!
He looks back and tries to see the train but the train vanished into the dark night. Of course, all people in the train don’t know what is going to happen.
The End