Avalon

We aren't that different

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The pavement was still mildly slippery from the earlier showers and wisps of mist hung loosely in the air. I waved goodbye to the group of friends I just had dinner with, them mounting their bicycles, ready to head home in different directions. I looked around and she was the only one left behind, playing with her camera, capturing pictures of the surroundings that caught her interest, although I found the reason for that interest rather elusive.

"Taking the tram home too?" I walked over and asked, thinking it strange to just walk off knowing that she was probably doing just that.

"Yes. But I don't really know where's the nearest stop." She replied, putting the camera away slowly as my guess was proven.

"Well, shall we go then? I am going that way too. I will take you." I jutted my head in the direction in front of me. We proceeded in silence as the bitter coldness of the autumn night crept upon us.

"Do you mind I take a smoke?" She sounded a little uncertain, although she was already fishing out the cigarette box and the lighter in her jacket pocket.

"No, not at all. I have friends who smoke too. " I paused, before continuing, "It sure is cold out here." She expertly lit her cigarette and took a puff, her features softening in silent contentment almost instantaneously. It was like the cigarette flicked on an immediate switch that draped a certain facial expression over her face like a mask, as light and quiet as the first signs of daybreak.

She said, "When I first got here, I didn't know anyone at all. So I was wandering around, and I got a lot of help from the people here. They really are quite friendly."

"Must have been because they saw the look on your face when you were walking about. If it had been a guy like me, I doubt they will be as helpful, though."

She smiled, then said, "You said you went to Vienna at the dinner table just now right?"

"Yes, I did. And I heard you came from there. Really love your city."

"Well, the people won't be as friendly as those here."

The tram stop came into view just when I was almost worried that I had missed it. We made it to the platform just when it started to drizzle. Hastily, we both pulled our jackets closer around ourselves, the wind relentlessly weathering us down.

She blew out a cloud of smoke, looking down at her shoes, as though scrutinising for any specks of dust, but at the same time as though she was just staring blankly into space. I exhaled slowly, noticing the cloud of vapour escaping from my mouth, spiralling up in the air in front of me, meeting the cloud of smoke she puffed out as they passed from the boundary illuminated by the street light, into the all-inviting night sky. Glancing over from this distance, a thought flashed across my mind. "We aren't that different."

The image of her sniffing on a piece of tissue paper amidst the intermittent puffs of smoke seemed to be gradually blurring out of focus, dissolving along with the tram platform that she was standing on. It was this time when the tram screeched slowly to a halt in front of us and the sight of her making a movement to board jumped back into plain view.

"I am going that way to the metro. See you then." I said.

"Oh, ok. Bye."

The tram moved off, and I headed in the opposite direction, along the same stretch of tram line.

Envoy of the Stars @ 6:33 PM
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