When Strangers Talk

Chapter 04

'Ugh! Why girls are always like that.'
Luna heard this tired voice behind her and she was fully sure that it was Brandon.
She sat in the other train. Brandon came with her.
'Hi!'
'Hello again.' Luna rolled her eyes.
'Do you wanna continue?'
'Continue what?'
'Any conversation!'
'No.'
'Come on, you can't travel with a donkey face and dark expressions!' Brandon laughed.
Luna gave him a fierce look and Brandon's laugh vanished and he started to pretend as he said nothing. Then there was an unintentional smile on her face. Brandon smiled again.
'I wish Oleg and Twinkle were both here right now.'
'Am I boring?'
'Haha, I didn't say that.'
'You don't always have to say everything. Somethings are understood.'
'I don't like the movie dialogues.'
'But I do.' he winked.
Luna rolled her eyes then opened her bag and started searching for something.
Brandon put his handphones on. Luna didn't notice, she took out a hair brush from her bag and started doing her hair.
'Oh, he's such a rude person. How can he put the headphones on when there are just two people here!' Luna murmured just as she noticed Brandon. He was sitting with his back resting on the back of the seat and his eyes closed.
'I'm not rude!' Brandon said calmly opening his one eye.
Now Luna felt awkward, 'Oh... I ... I didn't mean it.'
Brandon smiled.
They started their back to home journey from Kenkey where their Gloriyostous train got stopped. Kenkey is just a day and a few hours far from Brinston.
They continued their journey talking about other general topics.
'Why did you come back? We could go through Ashton, it's much more fun way than the direct route. The train passes from the famous Ashton Bridge. It really looks amazing in pictures, I wonder how it really looks like.'
'I know. I've been there once. But there are always so many people there, so I didn't enjoy much. It just consumes more time.'
'Oh, I see.'
'But why did you come with me?'
'I would have been bored if I had to go alone. Your discussions are interesting.'
'Thank you.'
Luna yawned. It was already evening by now. Sun almost sunk in the darkness of the cold winter evening and there could be seen the first sharp star in the clear dark sky.
She put her legs up on her seat and slipped down to lay down. She closed her eyes, thinking about something and fell asleep.
It took the whole night and now in the morning, she texted me which she had forgotten before. She texted me to pick her up from the Brinston Main Railway Junction. I got there at her told time but there was no sign of any train.
Then I heard a sound from far away morning fog. It was the very familiar sound, the noise of the train. And a blue train slowly made a stop in front me. I searched her compartment. There was a 7 minutes stop. I went in, Luna hugged me and told me a quick intro of Brandon. I did see nothing. She picked up her luggage and started rushing out. I got off the train and she was behind me.
'Bye! Hope to see you again!' Luna said and then turned behind.
I looked at her but I wasn't surprised at all. I've already mentioned that I know her more than her own self.
'Hey! Where did he go?!' She whispered astonishingly.
But then she continued to talk to me, 'Oh he went off may be, but without even saying goodbye ... Well, Twinkle I missed you and Oleg so much, and you know Brandon was a very good guy! I didn't get bored all the journey'
'Oh, really? Didn't you take his contact details?'
'Ugh, I forgot...'
'It's ok, let's go home. And tell me why did you come back without even reaching Gloriyostous?'
Luna continued to tell me her whole story which I've narrated here in front of you. As I said before that there was something strange about our room is Oleg's bed. Yes, there's a bed. An extra bed where Oleg stays. Oleg is Luna's best friend (I don't really know if it's an animal or a kid or a boy or something else) but I never was able to meet him. Luna doesn't know that she has serious schizophrenia, no one else knows. (That's why she always travels alone so she doesn't get embarrassed in front of some strangers whenever she gets any hallucinations during her journey, I and her therapist convinced her, it was very difficult to convince her to do so, it took years)
When I saw her talking to Oleg, (actually talking alone) I got afraid at first and watched her, I got numb. I had never seen her like that before. She called me and asked me to meet Oleg. Fortunately, I didn't over react and didn't tell anyone. But then I diagnosed her condition. She's a psychologist herself, but still, she didn't accept the fact when I tried to make her understand. But Luna started crying.
'Believe me Twinkle, I see them!' she sobbed.
'I believe you. But keep it a secret Luna.' I kissed her forehead and hugged her. I also had tears in my eyes but I didn't let go of them in front of her. I had to be her strenght instead of breaking down.
Only I know, because I'm the one who stays with her. She became schizophrenic after her mum got married, may be, I don't exactly know. She once told me that there's no complete treatment for schizophrenia, that those people can only control themselves a little bit or now even they know that, they can't differentiate between what's real or what's not. Since childhood, she was a girl of strong imagination, but the trauma turned her amazing imaginations into reality. Her own reality. Her own schizophrenic beautiful world. She's a traveller, I'm always worried so she explains me on maps where she's going, at least I can't let her go to a junkyard which she sees as heaven. It's difficult for her. Everything's difficult for her. Every Sunday, when I go to Church, I wish for her betterment. I never wanna leave her. She always used to tell me that how much difficult it is for people who suffer from depression, anxiety, multiple personality disorders and schizophrenia. Even now, she has spent seven years with this, it's still not easy for her. She had been taking therapies regularly for seven years and her therapist told me that there are chances that she might have been hallucinating since childhood. Such people always need moral support and encouragement, nothing else. Even if you know about someone's mental illness, instead of making fun of them, be their strength, assure them your presence on their side and understand them. When one look at her, can't imagine that a 26 years old might be going through this much.
Well, this journey showed her some positive things and some positive affects as she spoke her heart out in front of Brandon. I don't really think even if Brandon was real or not.