The Story of… Annie
Photo credit: Luke White
I traveled to Paris in November to meet Hanna.
We agreed to spend a weekend there and finally meet in person after so many months of Zoom contact at our regular JoClub journaling meetings.
On my way back from Paris, however, I had an interesting encounter. Here’s that story.
As I got comfy on SNCF’s TER train from Lille Flandres to my stop, Gare de Valenciennes, the subject of this story entered. Let’s call her Annie.
I’m not good with guessing ages, but let’s imagine she was 68 and going. Annie spotted the empty two-seater in front of me and wheeled her carry-on luggage behind her. She looked at me, and looked across the aisle to see only one seat available between two other women. She looked at me again and we agreed with our smiling eyes that it was okay for her to sit across from me. It was more practical and I really didn’t mind.
As she settled down, she chatted to herself and to me about her suitcase being safe in the space between our knees. It was as if we had traveled together and WE had to figure it out. But I played along and engaged in her chatter, reassuring her that it was indeed safe.
As the TER left Platform 10 of the Lille Flandres Train Station, she explained to me that she doesn’t usually do this and it’s not her favorite form of transport. I asked her about her destination and it turns out that we were both heading to Valenciennes. I told her don’t worry, I’ll let her know when it’s time. She thought that was sweet of me.
Throughout the ride, she and I got into a conversation. It was intense.
She told me stories about her family- her children, her deceased husband, and particularly about her late son- the one person she’d rather trade places with only so he could have been alive now, instead of her. A decision she’d make in a heartbeat because he deserved life more than she did.
She said that she’s lonely in Valenciennes and goes to Paris off and on because it does her good. This train lady was so scared, worried, and ashamed to admit to me she was seeing a man from Algeria. Before she told me, she leaned in so close, making me question if COVID even existed. She whispered her confession so lightly as if she almost didn’t even want me to know, and she only wanted to take a better whiff of my new perfume. She had just come from spending some time with her lover in Paris. I don’t know if it’s a one-night stand situation, a two-night stand situation, or a serious situation- but good for her.
As the trip became shorter and we stopped at the intermediary stations, she kept worrying that we had passed our stop. She complained that the conductors weren’t announcing where we were, as they would usually do, and also noticed that the electronic signs didn’t work either. On my phone, I showed her the schedule and the arrival time, which was at least 20 mins away. I even tried showing her the signs with the town name written in white whenever we stopped at the middle stations but who was I kidding, she had already told me that she can’t see them properly, especially without her glasses.
We arrived in Valenciennes on time and went our separate ways. As I made my way to the tram stop, Annie magically appeared at the tram stop too. “Interesting”, I thought. We entered. She continued our conversation, speaking again of her loneliness. I supported her. I asked her about her tram stop, and she said the name of the stop which is right after mine. We were travel buddies again but on a much shorter ride.
I didn’t leave the tram without exchanging phone numbers so we could have a coffee sometime. “Don’t call me too early!”, she said before I exited. We laughed as I stepped off the tram and waved goodbye.
It’s time to call her.
