The Unforgettable Train Ride

For some reason, I have their faces impressioned on my mind forever. They were two girls, aged somewhere around 5 and 11. I was sitting next to the younger one with the elder one occupying the window seat. I asked them their names, the younger one was sarah and the elder one was nafisa. Both of them had a round face, big eyes and long eyelashes. While sarah had dancing eyes, that spoke volumes, Nafisa was a wee bit lost, looking out of the window with a mature look, and burst into occasional giggles on being tickled by sarah.

I just couldn't get my eyes off them. They both had soiled hands, soiled hair, like they had not shampooed or combed their hair in ages. They both wore clothes that covered them from head to toe, accessorised by tattered scarves around their necks. I got reminded of the tantrum I threw in front of my mum that morning, for not having a decent pair of summer-slippers. I felt so small and shallow and repulsive of my own self, I still do when I think of it.

Sarah kept looking with questioning eyes in this diagnolly opposite direction. I saw this woman sitting there, with a baby boy in her lap. She dressed in a similar fashion, but she also wore a black burqa, with only her face showing. I realised she was the mother of these girls. On observing closely, I saw a bump through the many layers of clothing - she was pregnant. I think she probably was carrying their fourth child. Of course, am presuming that she didnt leave any of her children back home.

The mother held a packet of grapes, that her son devoured. Sarah walked to her mom and put her tiny hand in the packet, guess she wanted some herself, but her brother kinda hit her, and she returned empty handed. Her face hardly showed any signs of dejection. Guess she was expecting it. The son occasionally hit his mother too, but since he was very young, I don't think it hurt the mother. Physically, it didn't.

Sarah kept scratching her head, and as she did so, she kept fighting with nafisa to let her sit near the window. It was a very funny fight, at one point she even tried and pulled nafisa's extremely long hair. Nafisa dropped all her defenses and gave in. Giving in came naturally to the three women.

With the wind blowing in her face, sarah started singing some song I hadn't ever heard of. On listening intently I realised it was more of a hymn, that's sung in the praise of God. I really wished she sang some nursery rhymes as well, but she didn't. Her eyes danced even more, and I could guage how happy she was by the swinging motion of her legs. I wished time stopped then and there. I wished time captured sarah in her utopia, and kept her there always...I wished for Hope, I want more Hope God, my supplies have kinda diminished.