A Train To Chicago

Harry's Future

I chuckled to myself as Liz pulled out, 'The Distance' ...she must know who I am? This can't be a coincidence? It sells less than 500 copies a year now- does she know me? Did she speak to me because she knew I was the author?
"What's the book like?" I asked her, noticing she was about a third of the way through the novel... perhaps the part where the protagonist is going through the initial grief of losing her husband.
"It's relatable." She murmured back to me, completely lost in the novel, not thanking me for interrupting her.
The adjective 'relatable' hit me harder than I'd anticipated.
This girl... she couldn't be too much older than me... what was she going through?
That book shouldn't be relatable.

I tried to dismiss those thoughts as I looked out the window at the deserted land, the endless plains of western America and the occasional long abandoned wooden shack.

I think I must have fallen asleep, I don't understand why I was tired- it was barely 8pm. But I was woken by a plate of food being placed on the table.
"How much did you have to drink last night?" Was the first question I was greeted to as I blinked open my heavy eyelids.
I gave a chuckle, "you just assume I'm an alcoholic.."
"All the best people are alcoholics." She added, "-or drug addicts, they're pretty cool too."
Liz rolled up the sleeves of her blue knitted jumper and leaned her chin on her left hand.
"A couple beers." I replied, taking a look down at the rather appetising chicken korma.. just what I need.
"On your own?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a forkful of rice.
"I'm always on my own." I told her, beginning to eat.
"You won't be for much longer." She encouraged me, quite sweetly in my opinion. I smiled as I was reminded of my girlfriend Sophie who was at the other end of this train line.
"Yeah." I murmured, looking to the blonde lady sitting opposite me, "what about you, Liz? You got someone?"
She looked up from her plate and took a drink, "me? God no. I'm a psycho to live with." She laughed,
"Don't seem like one." I told her, grinning.
"Have you ever lived with a heavy smoker who's addicted to drink, art and singing?" She questioned me, making me laugh.
"I've lived with myself for thirty years, I deduce we're quite similar in some aspects." I told her while a young brunette waitress poured us two glasses of champagne.
I thanked the waitress and raised my glass to Liz subtly before taking a sip,
"Why- you depressed?" She asked me,
"Nah, I dunno. Just lonely, probably." I told her, unsure why I was being so open about my personal life to someone who I'd just met.
"When's the last time you saw Sophie?" Questioned Liz, taking the bottle of champagne from the middle of the table and filling up our glasses again.
"July- she came over for a week." I responded, remembering going down to the beach with her, it felt like it was the first time I'd seen the long stretching sand and crystal blue sea.
"She hasn't visited since?" She asked me, making me smile,
"No." I said, "she's pregnant."
Liz's face lit up immediately into a gorgeous proud grin,
"Awk, congratulations. I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed, reaching over and patting my shoulder.
"Thanks." I laughed, blushing while I took another sip of champagne and looked out the window at the fantastic golden sunset upon the horizon. An amber haze was cast upon Liz's face as her hazel eyes gleamed from my gaze back to her champagne glass.
"So that's why you're on this train- you're moving back to Northern Ireland to start a family?" She asked me, swirling her glass.
"I guess so." I replied.
"Then I deduce the depressed days are behind you, now." She told me, raising her glass.
"Well I hope so." I chuckled, our glasses clinking together.
"To your future." She cheered, looking me right in the eyes.
"And to yours." I added, dipping my head appreciatively to her.
She laughed at my statement but drank up all the same.
As the light began to dim, I asked her about her own life which she'd kept so strategically hidden for the few hours that we had been speaking.
"So what's going on for you?"
She looked out the window at the dark night lit only be the spectrum of stars ahead.
"Oh, Harry... everything and nothing.." sighed Liz, her eyes illuminated by the reflection of the golden lights on the window.
"A story for another day?" I questioned, finishing off the last of the champagne in my glass, I noticed that her glass was empty too.
"Maybe." She said, looking back at me and smiling blankly, her warm eyes making me shiver slightly- I wasn't sure why.
"It's after eleven- I'm gonna head off to bed." I told her, "I'll see you tomorrow."
I stood up, but she remained seated in the same space, her knees to her chest while her big sad eyes gleamed up at me.
"Good night." She told me,
"Good night." I replied, giving a slight smile before turning away and walking back towards the rooms.

My room was about half the size of my tiny room in college. There was a bunk bed against the one of the pale blue walls and an old wooden bedside table adjacent. There was a small door to a tiny bathroom where I had a quick shower and washed my face, looking into the small circular mirror. This was home for the next few days. And I didn't mind it all.