It was sweet, sour and indeed, it did ignite the writing fire in me. All of a sudden, I started writing. Writing what? I wrote, though it came to me unconsciously. I didn't know what but later realized what I was having my experience on the rail. It took me two good days and nights and it all began when Sarita, my beautiful blind lady woke me up at 6:30 am on that fateful day.
“Nana, the auto driver is outside the gate waiting for you” said Salini, the administrative assistant. This was the second time she spoke to me that morning. The first time, she came to my room to check on me but i was already up, thanks to Sarita who set her alarm at 6:30 am to wake me up for the journey. At the second call, it was 2 minutes to 7 am and I couldn't matter any expression but Huh! Waiting?
It was a Friday morning and my 1,858 kilometer journey to Pune had begun. I remember saying goodbye to Odion and hugging my Sari-Sari, Erick, carrying my bag and Nelson walking me to the gate. As Salini and I entered the rickshaw (auto) to Trivandrum Train Station, a lot of things started running through my mind. Was I indeed ready for this journey? Was I prepared to spend a whole month in an unknown land all alone? What was the situation going to be like? The food and the room? It was a moment of mixed feelings. The journey lasted for only 25 minutes but it seemed to me an hour.
When we checked on available notice boards, we couldn’t locate our platform number. No notice, no announcement. It wasn’t yet 8 am so we waited in anticipation. For close to 45 minutes, nothing had been said to us. Salini, an Indian was lost in her own country so you can just imagine where I was in that very moment of anxiety. Maybe, few kilometers to my country; Ghana.
It wasn’t funny anymore; we had to find a way out, either by asking or going round reading every notice. “Ladies and gentlemen, train number 16832 from Kanyakumari to Mumbai will depart at 8:55am on platform number 3” Hmmmm a sigh of great relief from both Salini and I. Salini looked at her watch and the time was 8:30. “Twenty-five minutes to board?.” I said to myself. In a hurry, we moved to platform No. 3 waiting patiently to board at 8:55 am. At 8:45am, there came another announcement. This time it was a reminder that the train will indeed depart at 8:55 on platform No. 3 so we were not bothered because we were already on the mentioned platform.
At 8:55, we were expecting our usual comforting news but it did not,rather, this reminder came 5 minutes after 9 am and it was not comforting because the same lines were being broadcasted. “Ladies and gentlemen, train number 16832 from Kanyakumari to Mumbai will depart at 8:55 am on platform number 3”
I could just see the frustration on Salini's face and I guessed she could see mine too. We thought we had missed the train. Maybe, it was 7:55am and we mistook it to be 8:55am. Huh! what could have gone wrong this time? We started asking individuals around and apparently most of the people standing on platform 3 were also going by train number 16832. I heaved a sigh of relief, indicating, at least, an assurance that I hadn't missed my train.
At 9:10 am the announcer was on, reminding us of the change in time. This time, we are to take off at 9:25 am on platform number 4. But I missed one thing. I was waiting to hear “we apologise for...” but nothing of that sort happened."Whew"
When Salini and I climbed on the “wheel’s” unfriendly stairs with my big luggage to platform 4, at that moment I could only hope that was the final change of platforms.
Here we were on platform 4 waiting anxiously for Mumbai express train number 16832.
My favourite computerized announcer came again “Ladies and gentlemen train number... will arrive shortly.” It was at Trivandrum Train Station I got the real meaning of the word “shortly”. It meant more than just that.
“Shortly”, the train arrived and Salini helped me to check my details and Ajith, Kanthari's administrative manager had done a good job. Everything was in place and I could see my name on the printed list pasted on the train indicating my seat number.
I gave Salini a big hug and a kiss on her cheek showing how grateful I really was to her for spending almost three hours with me, from 6:30 am in my room to 9:30 am in my cubicle on the train.
I thanked her dearly from the bottom of my heart and soon Mumbai express train number 16832 departed and the 1,767 kilometer journey began.
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