Etc.

The Bothersome Pop (A short story)

     At the sound of the conductor’s voice I boarded the six o’clock train for Connecticut.  When I found my seat I sat down next to a woman in her mid twenties.  She had brown hair and light blue eyes.  Her skin was pale and she had rosy red cheeks that were noticeable from across the train.  She was smacking and popping her gum that she was chewing.  I knew it was a mistake to sit next to her.  My nerves were on edge and I was in no proper mood to calmly handle a smacker.  I picked up my paper from my bag and began to read it trying desperately to distract myself from the noise next to me.

     “I’m not bothering you, am I?”  She asked nonchalantly.

     I answered back calmly, “Not at all.”

     “Because I see you’re reading a paper.  I know how hard it is to read when someone’s being distracting.”  pop.

     “You’re not at all bothering me.  Thank you for your concern.”  I smiled and went back to reading my paper.  That wouldn’t last for long.

     “I have an awful habit of clicking my heals when I get nervous.  You see, I’ve always had a fear of riding trains.”

     “Your heals isn’t what’s bothering me.”     

     “Oh good.  I’m Katrina Deloris but everyone calls me Kat.  And you are?”  pop.

     “Ethan.  Ethan Cramer.”

     “Well how do you do Ethan Cramer?”

     “How do you do?”  I suppose it was too much to want to read my paper.  Peace and quiet was all I aspired.  I picked up my paper thinking she would leave me to it.

     “If I may ask, why are you going to Connecticut?”

     “I live there.”

     “Well so do I!  What a coincidence!  What were you doing in New York?”  pop.

     “I work there.”  

     “What do you do?”

     “I’m a journalist.”

     “Well how splendid!  My brother Freddy is a writer.  He writes children’s books, perhaps you’ve heard of him.  His name is Freddy Deloris.  Have you?”

      “No, I’m sorry.”

     “No need to apologize.  He hasn’t had any books published yet.”  pop.  “wouldn’t you like to know what I do?”

     “What do you do?” 

     “I’m a window dresser.”

     “How terribly exciting.” 

     “You don’t have to be sarcastic about it, and besides, it’s exciting to me.”  pop.

     “You’re absolutely right.  I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

     “I don’t think you are sorry.  I’ve only been trying to make conversation and be friendly but you act like you have something better to do.  If you didn’t want to talk to me, you should have just said so in the first place.”  pop.

     “Fine then, if that’s the way you want it.  I don’t want to talk to you.  This whole time I’ve just wanted to read my paper.  I’ve had a very long, exhausting day and sometimes a man just needs his paper to set him right.” 

     “Fine.  At least you were honest.  I shall leave you alone now.  You won’t have to deal with me the rest of the ride.”  pop.  She left me alone the rest of the ride but she popped her gum extra loud just to annoy me.  I rolled my eyes but I discovered that just egged her on so I ignored her too.  And that was that.