Train Man (56 page)

738 Name: Train Man ♦ 4aPOTtW4HU Post Date: 09/05/04 07:25

After I accepted her gift I listened to her talk a bit about her trip She talked about people over there, what she ate, the culture and the language. She told me that she learned a lot just by going there.

When I told her that I hadn’t gone anywhere since my school trip, she told me off a bit.

When we left the restaurant (we paid separately)

‘Let’s take some photos in the Print Club photo booth,’ she said
.

I had no idea what she was talking about and replied with a (?_?)

like face so she yanked my hand and we went to an arcade

so, we were going to be taking photos together . . .

to be honest, I hate that kind of thing but

she dropped the coins into the slot and quickly pressed some buttons.

‘Make sure you put on a cute face.’

‘Wha? Whaaa?’ I said while the machine snapped away . . .

When I saw the final photo, you couldn’t tell where I was looking and . . .

She’d pulled a face

‘It’s not the best but it’s a memento’

she gave me half the photos. I think I’m beginning to like the photo booth already.

838 Name: Train Man ♦ 4aPOTtW4HU Post Date: 09/05/04 07:42

We went back to the car then headed to the spot we’d chosen for our showdown.

She knew what was about to happen too . . .

I could tell we were both getting well nervous.

We started talking less and my clenched fist was getting sweaty.

I hesitantly gave her directions. All the time we were getting closer and closer to our destination. In the silence I rehearsed my lines over

and over again.

When we got there I could hear my own heartbeat. I was dripping with sweat.

We got out of the car and started walking. Just as I thought, there were couples all around.

‘What a nice place,’ she said.

‘I checked it out,’ I said, and she said it was very me to do that. It was a park but compared to when I came in the daytime, there were lots more people, and basically all couples. All the benches were taken.

We walked around the park for a bit with no particular plan. I had no idea how to set the mood.

956 Name: Train Man ♦ 4aPOTtW4HU Post Date: 09/05/04 08:02

My heart’s thumping like mad as I write . . .

The hundreds maybe thousands of netizens who had been carefully watching the thread all waited with bated breath for Train Main’s bomb-bay doors to open. They’d been waiting for this moment for the past two months. Even though there was a chance the entire world would go up in flames, nobody was running. The bomb quietly slips out of the bay doors and falls slowly but surely towards the thread. And then. As it bursts into flames, the thread becomes enveloped in a powerful light like never before.

41 Name: Train Man ♦ 4aPOTtW4HU Post Date: 09/05/04 08:08

We walked around for a while before she said

‘Look, over there’

she pulled my hand and lead me to an empty bench

We sat down. I wondered if we’d ever sat so close before. Of course, we hadn’t. I was so nervous I couldn’t even open my mouth.

But, now was the moment.

‘I have something important I want to say’

I broached the subject. She just nodded in silence, listening.

But then I found myself unable to speak any further.

I stood up and faced her as she sat on the bench.

‘Um . . . I . . . ’

I said as words failed me yet again. I was so nervous I could die, I thought.

Everything that had happened since we met went through my head . . .

She grabbed both my hands and said

‘You can do it!’

‘I really like you, Hermes,’
I said, finding a lot more courage than I used that day on the train. My voice shook as I said it.

She stood up. I couldn’t look at her face.

‘I like you too, Mr Train. Will you always be by my side?’

she said.

It was a miraculous moment. Train Man had become a legend. A mass of congratulations arrived.