The Train To Many Places - Chapter 9

The Train To Many Places

A novel

By Paul McCann

Chapter 9

Love That Came On A Train

The man selling flowers at the railway station looked at Dave as he made his way to the platform . He reached out his arm and, in his hand, he held a single rose and said ,
“A rose for your lovely wife “
“My wife died “
Dave replied and the man replied .
”Take this rose to remember her beauty . “
Dave stopped and took the rose just as the train arrived .
A super modern train with a cool aerodynamic shape and some special features on board to make the journey fast and fascinating .
Inside the carriage, there were seats that could lay back and give you a massage . There were virtual reality helmets on the seat to present a series of experiences where the user could walk through forests or mountain paths with many things to discover . There were also robots that were available for conversation and the robots were very lifelike .
They were able to talk many different languages and were equipped with artificial intelligence to excess information about anything . Dave had never seen anything like this before .
A lady passenger smiled at Dave as he sat down near her and she asked said .
”Is that rose for someone special ?
Dave didn’t know what to say . All he could think of was his wife . They he offered the rose to the lady and said ,
“Why actually it’s for you”
Somehow, he knew that his wife wanted him to do that and he felt ok about doing that the lady nearby took the rose from him and said ,
“ My husband used to buy roses for me on my birthday . Every year he bought me roses but now he’s gone . You’re the first man who has given me a rose since he died . Thank you “
Her words cut him to the core .
He never went straight to his heart and he said m,
”My wife loved always loved the flowers I would bring home to her . I have never given flowers to anyone since she died .
Both of them just looked at each other and in that moment something clicked .
They started talking about their lives and suddenly they both smiled and without a word spoken they knew inside their heart there was love present then in that moment it was gone . Maybe in that moment they both knew that they had to carry on with their lives and it was ok to find love again .
Dave asked her if she liked to travel on trains and she told him she had no choice because she couldn’t drive and she had to get to her work each day . As he looked at her face, he could see a warmth in her eyes and a gentleness in her smile . He had never really looked at another woman since his wife died . She held the rose he had given her and then she said to him ‘
“This rose you gave me makes think I am still attractive “
He replied ,
:”I never thought I could ever give a flower to anyone else but today I realise that it’s time for me to try to find love again. “
They say next to each other and shared stories of happiness and sorrow . They talked about the people they loved and lost and as the train pulled into the station Dave said he had to get off
She handed him her business card and told him to keep in touch and that she travelled on that train every day at the same time . Dave looked at his wristwatch and took a note of what time it was before stepping oof the train .
As the train started to pull away from the station, they both looked at each other through the window of the train ,she held the rose close to her and waved goodbye , Dave retuned the wave and made his way to the exit .
He presented his travel pass to the ticker collector and went into the street where a funeral cortege was passing . So many flowers were in with the coffin . Dave realised that the person inside the coffin was well loved and would be missed by many however life goes on . It reminded him of the day his wife and children were buried .
Then he started thinking of the lady he had met on the train and kept walking . He was almost floating on air as he walked . Since the day his wife had died trouble and sadness had been his companion but now all that had changed, he was in a place where he saw for the first time, he understood he could be loved again . He was walking on streets where he had never been in blind faith almost taking little steps to towards trusting and letting go of emotions inside .
He came to a hotel and the receptionist confirmed his travel pass was linked in with their accommodation so he could stay a short time for free .
Once inside his room he looked at her business card then he spoke her name softly saying hello Annie . He had thought about giving her a call but it was much too soon so he put the card into his wallet and went to the dining room for some food .
Later that night he lay down on the bed and felt his starting to get heavy so he turned on the radio and listened to some music which was something he hadn’t done for a long time . As he lay there, he began to remember what made him feel useless and lost and the reason why he took an exit from life . When he was able to embrace his hurt and accept the grief only then did, he really started to heal and get over loosing those he loved . Today on the train he had learnt that he needed someone to fill the emptiness within . For too long now he had just dug the hole deeper and disappeared into a place without hope and entertained thoughts no one appreciated him of loved him . Now he had a reason.to(link is external) embrace life again after losing all his family on that tragic day . He looked back at all the medication he was prescribed and all the group therapy sessions he had attended .
Then he thought about how he met Annie today on the train and it dawned on him that love had never ever really left him alone ; it was just waiting for the right time to return again into his life .
Now he had met Annie on the train and they had talked for a long time about their experiences in life . What they had lost and everything they had been through /
It was like a conference of emotions they had attended .
Dave had found some common ground where he was to develop a bond of friendship . After another night at the hotel, he was feeling ok about himself again .
He decided to give Annie a call and maybe see if they could meet again .

It was just like a miracle had happened love was ready to rebuild their broken lives together . Dave rang the number and Annie answered right away .

”Hello “
Dave said ,
“Hello . we met on the train a few days ago . I gave you a rose “
Annie replied
“Oh hello nice to hear from you . I was wondering if you would call

“I think I would really like to see you again Annie “’
He said

“I’ll be on that same train tomorrow if you can make it “

Dave responded immediately.
“ Sure I ‘ll be there at the station at 8am “
Annie replied ,
“Ok , I look forward to seeing you again Dave , isn’t it ?”

“Yes , thank you for remembering . See you in the morning “
:He said

Somehow after the call Dave knew he had found a reason to carry on and the reason was love . finally found something that was lost in his life . He needed to have another relationship with someone . He knew he was strong enough to be with someone . He had shed all the tears until there were none left to cry , he had let go of the fears and the was brave enough to try and love again .

End Chapter 9

Link to chapter 10

https://www.abctales.com/story/mcscraic/train-many-places-chapter-10

The Train To Many Places

A novel

By Paul McCann