First Train Ride
A Story About First Times
"This is their first train ride, do you mind getting up?" says the conductor to the peaceful looking professional woman with perfect pink nails.
"Well, I was here first," she replies.
"You are sitting in a four-seater ma'am."
"Well, does that change the fact that I was here first?"
"No, I guess not, but this is their first train ride."
"Yeah, we've never been on a train before," says the red head with freckles and curious eyes.
The professional woman ignores them all.
The glow of her laptop lights up her face as she continues working.
"In that case," says the conductor, "just have a seat. It will be a little tight but there are four seats. Three of you and…"
He looks at her not saying anything more.
The two boys sit with their grandmother.
At first they are quiet.
The professional woman types busily.
The redhead peers at his brother.
His brother with a black mop of hair and black eyes squints back.
"Bananas!" they call out abruptly.
The professional woman peers up briefly.
"Bananas!" they yell out again.
The professional woman shakes her head.
The grandmother peers at the boys.
They peer back.
"Bananas!" they all yell simultaneously.
The professional woman looks up yet again with a scowl.
"Boys! I have some delicious bananas. I brought them for your first train ride ever."
"Yay! Granny Yay!" yell the boys.
The grandmother grabs the bananas and hands them out.
The boys begin eating—with their mouths wide open.
"Oh my," replies the grandmother.
"Normally, I'd tell you to keep your mouths closed…"
She looks at the professional woman typing away. Her pink nails moving faster than the racing train.
"But this time," she says, as she talks with chunks of bananas in her open mouth, "this time, it is A-okay!"
The boys burst into laughter.
The professional woman looks up, lets out a loud huff, closes her laptop and gets up to leave.
She roughly squeezes by the boys and their granny.
And slips on a banana peel.
Her nail splits too.
"Yay! Window seat!" yells the red head with freckles and curious eyes.
A story by Pemba Umoja