Soon enough
The train slowed into the station, and stopped.
The conductor walked to the edge of the cab, held the brim of his hat,
and jumped onto the gravel. Then he walked into the station.
Glare from the setting sun reflected back an empty station on the windows of the train.
In the passenger car, Pastor Mc Corkhill sat watching a coin spinning
on a table before him. His forearms rested on his thighs, flattening the crease
of his black pants.
Life moves us, he thought, as he listened to the spin of metal on wood.
Moves us, and moves through us, with little or no matter as to our
preferences. All in all there’s no fairness to it. No fairness at all.
A ride with no choices, and but one final destination.
The silver coin finished its spin, and dropped to one side.
He reached to his shirt cuffs, and gave a little tug. White showed from under black coat sleeves.
He picked the coin up, and gave it another little spin.
Squeezing his eyes narrow against the sun, and letting them relax, his eyes unfocused in the bright light coming in through the window.
The Conductor walked to the train, and grabbed hold a handle,
shiny with constant wear. He pulled himself up, and into the cab.
Looking ahead, up the tracks, he pushed his glasses up to rest on his eyebrows, and rubbed his eyes with his thumb, and finger.
The Conductor let the glasses drop back, and then adjusted their position on his nose, so that the feel was familiarly comfortable. Presently the train began moving again.
It would arrive at its destination soon enough.
