Hey ,
I was at a train station the other day. As I arrived, there was an announcement (1) saying the next train, the train I wanted to catch, was cancelled. From a (paper) list of trains at the station, I could see that the next train was in 30 minutes.
A lady arrived. She looked at her phone and muttered (2) something.
It took a while to start, but we ended up chatting. She told me why she was there and how it was going to take several transport changes for her to get home. I shared what I had done that day.
We talked about how the train services haven't been very good lately and the Rhine (3) and Main rivers (I love the Main, she prefers the Rhine).
We even talked about politics!
Then her phone rang.
As she spoke, I watched the time on the station clock. It was getting close to the time I thought the next train would come, but there was no announcement.
The lady had said that information on her phone said we had to wait for another 15 minutes. I got up and checked the list again.
Oops! The train I had looked at only ran on weekdays and this was a Saturday. Still a bit over 15 minutes to go!
After her phone call, we talked a bit more.
The minutes were ticking away. Soon we'd be on the way home.
The announcement for the train came through the speakers.
The lady stood up, said how it had been nice chatting and said goodbye. After I had said goodbye to her, she walked away. I thought she was just walking to another part of the platform (4).
But no, she walked away from the station, out onto the street.
I was stunned (5)! She had waited all that time (close to 45 minutes) and then she didn't catch the train? It didn't make sense.
My only thought is that the person who phoned her offered to drive to the station and pick her up.
How often do you talk to strangers, ? Confession - I don't usually speak to people like that and I wouldn't have this time, if she hadn't started speaking to me.
Have you had any good (or confusing!) chats you'd like to tell me about?
Have a chatty week,
Andrea
(1) announcement - someone saying something/giving information
(2) mutter - talk in a low tone and not very clearly
(3) Rhine - English spelling of Rhein
(4) platform - part of the train station where you get on and off the train
(5) stunned - shocked, surprised but this time in a neutral or negative way
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