The Zephyr . 18.
Caramel wasn't in her seat. He knew she was on the train, so he sat down to wait. Perhaps she was in the restroom.
Except, time went by. Her purse wan't here. Neither was her raincoat. She wouldn't have gotten off the train, so where was she? He decided to check the restroom. Reaching the bottom level, he saw right away that the door to the women's lavatory was swinging open and shut with the movement of the train. So she wasn't there.
He climbed the stairs and glanced at the passengers. No, she hadn't changed seats for some reason. He started the walk forward. The Car Attendant entered the car from the front.
"Did you happen to see the lady I am with?" he asked the attendant.
"I believe I saw her on the Observation Car, sir, as I was checking for new passengers."
He thanked the attendant, and continued forward. "What was she doing up there, and well, what? or maybe why?" he thought to himself. The question rolled around in his mind as he concentrated on walking the cars. It was like walking on a ship, a rolling, rocking ship.
The Observation Car was fairly full, most seats taken and he didn't see her. Maybe in the Snack area below? At the bottom of the stairs, he looked around.
There she was, still in her coat, back to him. She was at the same spot where they had been seated earlier. Two cups of coffee sat in front of her in a cardboard tray. One was closed still; one was being stirred in a way he remembered. She was staring out the window, almost unmoving except for the motion of her had stirring.
He stepped over to the booth. "Caramel, what are you doing?"
She looked up and it was as if she didn't see him, lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes weren't twinkling, they weren't steely, they were in another place. The stirring didn't stop. And as if she didn't see him, or know him, she slowly turned to stare at the scenery again.
Ben sat down. He waited a moment, confused, then he reached his right hand up and put it over her left hand that rested on the table. "Caramel, baby, talk to me." He squeezed the hand that rested quietly in his. "Caramel?" Her head didn't turn from the scenery. Her face was pale, or maybe just tired?
A voice he hardly knew came to his ears, quiet yes, but not the Caramel he knew. There was no smile in it. "It has been a long time. I thought I was ready." Then silence.
He waited. She was lost in thoughts again. When she started stirring the damned coffee again, he almost lost it. He took her face between his hands and gently turned her to look at him. "Caramel, Caramel, Look at me. Here." He pointed to the spot between his eyes, and her eyes followed his hand up. The glazed look was still in her eyes though.
"Caramel, what has been a long time?" His voice was still quiet. He knew he sounded like he was talking to a child, but the other thing he felt was anger; worrying did that to him. He didn't know what was going on, and she was still silent! Frustration colored his voice now, and he put both hands on her shoulders. He wanted to shake her, but didn't.
"Caramel, First you disappeared. When I find you, you are cryptic. Talk to me. What has been a long time and what aren't you ready for? Tell me. It's me, Adam, remember? Your Adam, your Ben." He eyes looked at him now, losing some of that dazed look. "Baby, talk to me!"
Adam, Ben, I , uh, ummn," Tears began to flow from her eyes. Her head went on his shoulder and he groaned. He circled her with his arms.
"Baby, just tell me. Don't cry, please, just tell me." He paused, but she didn't answer. She moved against his arms, as if to back away, but he didn't let her go. Nor did she look up again.
He reached for the napkin on the table, keeping one arm around her. He let go, and lifted her face up. He wiped the tears off her cheeks gently, and smiled down at her teary eyes. "I'll even drink the damned coffee, I promise. Just tell me."
She gave a little laugh at that. "I did buy you one too. It might be hot. It was when I bought it," she started to trail off again.
He grabbed her coffee, stirring stick still in it, and handed it to her. His other arm was around her again. "Drink this." He picked up the other coffee, popped the lid off with one hand and sipped. "See, I'm drinking." She chuckled. He took a sip again. "Now talk to me."
Except, time went by. Her purse wan't here. Neither was her raincoat. She wouldn't have gotten off the train, so where was she? He decided to check the restroom. Reaching the bottom level, he saw right away that the door to the women's lavatory was swinging open and shut with the movement of the train. So she wasn't there.
He climbed the stairs and glanced at the passengers. No, she hadn't changed seats for some reason. He started the walk forward. The Car Attendant entered the car from the front.
"Did you happen to see the lady I am with?" he asked the attendant.
"I believe I saw her on the Observation Car, sir, as I was checking for new passengers."
He thanked the attendant, and continued forward. "What was she doing up there, and well, what? or maybe why?" he thought to himself. The question rolled around in his mind as he concentrated on walking the cars. It was like walking on a ship, a rolling, rocking ship.
The Observation Car was fairly full, most seats taken and he didn't see her. Maybe in the Snack area below? At the bottom of the stairs, he looked around.
There she was, still in her coat, back to him. She was at the same spot where they had been seated earlier. Two cups of coffee sat in front of her in a cardboard tray. One was closed still; one was being stirred in a way he remembered. She was staring out the window, almost unmoving except for the motion of her had stirring.
He stepped over to the booth. "Caramel, what are you doing?"
She looked up and it was as if she didn't see him, lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes weren't twinkling, they weren't steely, they were in another place. The stirring didn't stop. And as if she didn't see him, or know him, she slowly turned to stare at the scenery again.
Ben sat down. He waited a moment, confused, then he reached his right hand up and put it over her left hand that rested on the table. "Caramel, baby, talk to me." He squeezed the hand that rested quietly in his. "Caramel?" Her head didn't turn from the scenery. Her face was pale, or maybe just tired?
A voice he hardly knew came to his ears, quiet yes, but not the Caramel he knew. There was no smile in it. "It has been a long time. I thought I was ready." Then silence.
He waited. She was lost in thoughts again. When she started stirring the damned coffee again, he almost lost it. He took her face between his hands and gently turned her to look at him. "Caramel, Caramel, Look at me. Here." He pointed to the spot between his eyes, and her eyes followed his hand up. The glazed look was still in her eyes though.
"Caramel, what has been a long time?" His voice was still quiet. He knew he sounded like he was talking to a child, but the other thing he felt was anger; worrying did that to him. He didn't know what was going on, and she was still silent! Frustration colored his voice now, and he put both hands on her shoulders. He wanted to shake her, but didn't.
"Caramel, First you disappeared. When I find you, you are cryptic. Talk to me. What has been a long time and what aren't you ready for? Tell me. It's me, Adam, remember? Your Adam, your Ben." He eyes looked at him now, losing some of that dazed look. "Baby, talk to me!"
Adam, Ben, I , uh, ummn," Tears began to flow from her eyes. Her head went on his shoulder and he groaned. He circled her with his arms.
"Baby, just tell me. Don't cry, please, just tell me." He paused, but she didn't answer. She moved against his arms, as if to back away, but he didn't let her go. Nor did she look up again.
He reached for the napkin on the table, keeping one arm around her. He let go, and lifted her face up. He wiped the tears off her cheeks gently, and smiled down at her teary eyes. "I'll even drink the damned coffee, I promise. Just tell me."
She gave a little laugh at that. "I did buy you one too. It might be hot. It was when I bought it," she started to trail off again.
He grabbed her coffee, stirring stick still in it, and handed it to her. His other arm was around her again. "Drink this." He picked up the other coffee, popped the lid off with one hand and sipped. "See, I'm drinking." She chuckled. He took a sip again. "Now talk to me."
posted by Unknown at 5:26 PM
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