11 May 2012
The doors closed behind him, and the train began moving to its next destination. He could feel a bead of sweat drop from his chin. The train was very packed today. He couldn’t find another spot to be except stand at the doorway. He took a deep breath, and looked towards the front of the train. His sister had entered there; she couldn’t have gone anywhere far. He looked again and then back at the train station. She wasn’t in sight anywhere. A tap on his shoulder startled him a little inside. He almost had the urge to smash into the door, but turning around, was his sister in full smile. She obviously saw her victory in this; he almost thought he had gotten away without her knowing she almost made him jump. At least he could feel at ease seeing her smile. She always had that effect on him since he was little. When he was little, he got separated from his family at a park, and had been startled then too when his sister tapped his shoulder wearing that same smile; since then, it has always comforted him. He didn’t realize how many times till now. He could count one-hundred and thirty-seven times in total.
Three stops. Four stops. Only six more stops to go. It wasn’t so much the number of stops going by, or the conversation about her plans later today, but the expression his sister was slowly presenting. First was a smile. After that slowly crept itself away, it was just a cheery attitude with an occasional half smile about something. But even that was disappearing. It wasn’t till the seventh stop that he was a bit anxious as to what was troubling her. When she stopped talking for a couple minutes, he couldn’t help but to ask if she was alright. You could hear the people talking to each other, and on their cell phones, and the train running along the rails with the intercom interjecting at each stop, but she just remained silent and focused on something. Her eyes, despite looking at him, looked like they were looking through into the distance. Past the car stuck at the red light, and past the mechanic’s shop, over the trees in the park, and didn’t even stop at the mountains in the distance. All he did was stand like a statue could stand, waiting for something to change soon.
Since his sister was out of it, he decided to try to make connections with what happened in the shower, his dream, and reality. There was the dirt in his palm. Dirt is everywhere, but this didn’t seem to match any of it. It made no sense to him. Another was how he could access all his memories at once in full clarity. He couldn’t begin to comprehend what could cause this except brain damage, but if it was brain damage, why is that the only change in him?
“Next stop, Davidson Square. Please exit to the doors on the right.” This had taken him out of his trance. About time he thought. He was not looking forward to this, but he grabbed his sister’s hand and tugged it while taking a step off. She snapped out of her thinking, as she suddenly looked around, and realized that they arrived. He let go of her hand before she could notice. She doesn’t make a lot of big scenes as some people would. He couldn’t stand how people could randomly give their lovers deep kisses, or grope each other in public. She already one upped him earlier, and she would surely try to do again somehow without causing herself any trouble.
“Sorry, I was thinking what to get my friend tonight. It’s her birthday and I haven’t got her anything, and just realized it. You wouldn’t be interested at all in that conversation though, or would talking about tampons and the likes interest you?” she said a little loud with a smirk springing across her face. He couldn’t respond. He also knew this was likely to come. Tampons are not so much an issue for discussion for him, but it is when it’s discussed in a way to tease or toy with someone. Aside from that, it’s more the fact everyone directly around them gave a quick glance or two. If she wanted to think about that, then he was fine with not talking about it. She already had plans with a play, and now a birthday party. At least he will be free of her today. “Hey, cheer up, it was a joke.”
“At least present it differently then! Everyone could hear,” he muttered, “And besides, you’ve always liked the things I’ve got you. I could probably find a gift your friend would appreciate.”
“All of the gifts—except one—I liked. You burnt my cake last year.” He couldn’t argue that. He would hope she would have overlooked this too. His friend had called that day and they were panicking over their girlfriend. Talking him down took more than sorting the issue out, but in that time the cake had burned a bit. The frosting didn’t even help at all, and actually made it worse. “Hey, I’ll call you later in the evening so you can help me. I just remembered I need to meet my friends over at the coffee shop before going to school.” Now he wasn’t free of her for the day, but he felt like he owed her.
“Alright, see you.”
“Hey, Alex… Cheer up; you seem a little distant today. If something is troubling you, you can tell your sister. Bye for now!” He didn’t see himself as being distant today. If anything, she was. But he can’t see himself from her view. She always looked out for him. He took another glance to see her running off around the street ahead. He decided to make his run to school. Hopefully his classmates would disagree with her view of today.
Part 4 • Opuss № I