The train was due to depart in just a couple of minutes. Emily stepped into the compartment and greeted the passengers.
An elderly couple was sitting on the lower berth, and across from them was a handsome young man.
— Hello, come in, come in! Where are you headed? — the old woman asked warmly.
— Good afternoon, I’m going all the way to the end of the line.
— Oh, that’s a long journey for you. We’re getting off much earlier, but we’ll still be riding until morning. So, brace yourself—we’ll be snoring all night, my husband and I.
— That’s alright, no problem. The wheels clatter so loudly on the train that you can’t hear any snoring anyway, — Emily replied cheerfully, and for some reason, her gaze shifted toward the young man.
He was staring at her intently and smiling. Emily smiled back and politely asked:
— Are these your parents?
— No, just fellow passengers. I’m traveling alone. My name’s James.
— Nice to meet you. I’m Emily, and as you can see, I’m traveling alone too.
While the old folks were making up the beds, the young people stepped out of the compartment and continued their conversation. Emily was studying education by correspondence and was heading home after her exams. James had been on a business trip to New York. The girl had aced her tests, and the guy had nailed his work assignments. In such high spirits, the long ride didn’t feel like a burden at all! On the contrary, they wanted to chat, crack jokes, and share fresh impressions.
The guy’s work schedule was packed. But he still managed to visit some museums in New York. Emily, though, hadn’t had the time.
— I spent days and nights in the dorm, cramming and cramming. I was afraid I’d flunk the exams. Next time, I’ll definitely set aside at least half a day for the museums.
When they returned to the compartment, the old folks were getting ready for supper. The cheerful retiree had laid out their simple provisions on the table and started offering treats to the youngsters. James and Emily pulled out their own packets of food from their bags too. So, it turned into a real feast in the car!
The old man wouldn’t stop talking for a minute—he reminisced about the old days, pondered lost youth. And his wife kept nudging him in the side, saying:
— Enough already, you’re on a roll. You won’t let people eat in peace.
But the old guy just wouldn’t quiet down. Supper was over, and it was time to turn in. Yet he kept talking and talking, then pulled a deck of cards from his pocket.
— Well, what do you say? Shall we play? I won’t let anyone sleep until you beat me!
Everyone laughed, and the pensioner, pleased with his successful joke, began dealing the cards. The game went well. The group chatted a lot, made a racket, and had fun. “They can probably hear us throughout the whole train,” the happy girl thought, continuing to laugh heartily. Finally, James beat the stubborn old man. He grunted in displeasure, muttered that it was too early to sleep, lay down, and soon started snoring.
James and Emily stepped out to stand in the corridor. Fields and trees flashed by outside the window, lonely stations whizzed past.
— Tell me, James, you could have beaten the old man right away, couldn’t you? — the girl asked with a sly smile.
— I could have, from the first round! But I wanted to sit next to you a bit longer. Your laugh is so infectious.
Emily blushed and turned to the window. Then it was like a dam broke. With this chance fellow traveler, she wanted to talk about everything under the sun—about her childhood, her parents and little sister, her hometown and her kind old grandmother. About school, college, dreams, and plans for the future.
After finishing her story, the girl looked at James attentively.
— Sorry, you must be tired of listening to all this?
— Not at all, it was really interesting. But what can I tell you in return? In school, I was your average quiet nerd, graduated from college, served in the army. Now I go to work. And that’s it. No luck with girls, still not married. I probably seemed like a boring stick-in-the-mud to them. And my buddies say I’m kind of antisocial. But with you, I feel so at ease, like we’ve known each other forever. Isn’t that amazing?
Suddenly, both of them felt very sad. The train was hurtling forward relentlessly. And with every mile, there was less time left to talk. It was as if they could read each other’s thoughts—they really didn’t want to part. But neither said it out loud.
— Well, time to turn in, — Emily said sadly, and the young people quietly entered the compartment.
Trying not to wake the sleeping old folks, they carefully climbed onto the upper berths. Though sleep was the last thing on their minds.
Dim little lamps glowed overhead. So they exchanged glances and waved to each other. They didn’t dare talk, even in whispers. Soon, the clever guy found an interesting solution—he passed Emily a note. “I’m so bored. Can’t fall asleep. Let’s write to each other. Waiting for your reply.”
The girl smiled and wrote on the same sheet of paper: “I’m missing you too. How old are you? I just turned 22.” In just a minute, the guy handed her his response: “I’ll be 30 this year. Am I too old?”
This nighttime correspondence went on for a long time. James and Emily shared interesting facts from their lives, traded jokes, anecdotes, warm words, and kind wishes. They fell asleep just before dawn and woke up in the middle of the day. The old folks had gotten off long ago, and treats were left on the table. They’d slept through breakfast—it was time for lunch!
The day passed wonderfully. More engaging conversations, jokes, fun, laughter. But by evening, they felt uneasy. James didn’t want to say goodbye. After packing his things into his bag, he waved and slowly headed for the exit. He knew the small town where Emily lived, knew where she worked. “I’ll find her later, for sure. But what if I can’t? Or if she forgets about me?”
Left alone, Emily sighed sadly and thought, “Why didn’t he suggest meeting again? I know he liked me. He’s a good guy, attentive, sincere, though indecisive. That’s probably why he’s not married. Oh well, guess it wasn’t meant to be!”
Miles flashed by outside the window again, and the girl sobbed bitterly. She tried to pull herself together but couldn’t. She remembered James’s kind face, his friendly voice, his honest, open gaze. No, there wouldn’t be another chance like this in life!
Suddenly, someone placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl turned and was stunned.
— James, you’re here again, — Emily said, not even noticing she’d switched to “you.”
— Can you believe it? I walked along the train, then jumped into the last car. Barely made it—the train was already pulling out. I worked it out with the conductor. It’s not far to your station now.
— I wasn’t even hoping anymore, — Emily whispered through her tears, and the guy hugged her tightly.
— You know, dear, you’re like my departing train that I managed to catch after all.
— No one’s ever called me a train before, — the girl finally smiled. — What a compliment!
— No one else will be giving you compliments—I won’t allow it, — James joked cheerfully. — Today, I’ll walk you all the way home. I hope you don’t mind.
— Alright, I suppose I’ll allow it! After all, you jumped into that last car so nimbly, — Emily declared flirtatiously, and both burst out laughing.
It wasn’t long to the final stop. The happy young people silently watched the landscape and listened to the clatter of the wheels. It seemed their enamored hearts were beating just as loudly and quickly. Now they were fellow travelers for life.
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