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Tricky Old Women |
| Written by Nate Stanford | |
| Friday, 18 April 2008 | |
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Share it:      One day an old woman walked and sat down on the bench next to me. I was waiting for a train, but I had purposely arrived much earlier. It would still be about 20 minutes until my train arrived, I had no intention of speaking to the woman, until she promptly stood up and plopped down her bags in the bench I was on and sat down. "Hello." I greeted her awkwardly. She could sense my uneasiness. "Afternoon. Lovely day isn't it?" "Its a bit cloudy, I'm afraid. But the weatherman said it should clear up." I stammered. "No need to be uncomfortable, I won't bite." she chuckled. I shrank in my seat. We sat in silence for a moment, a very awkward silence. She just sat there, staring into the distance, blazes of happiness bursting from her cheeks. It was sickening. "What are you so happy for?" I asked her vainly. My life wasn't the way I had wanted it to be going, so I tended to lose my temper easily. "No reason. Might as well enjoy life before I kick the bucket." she moved her hands around in a gesture, as if she was fainting. "So whats your name, lad?" She asked me. "Will Harris." I responded timidly. Every second her bags seemed to grow bigger, crushing me into the armrest of the bench. "So, Billy." she said joyfully. "Got a family?" "N-n-no." She looked over to me in a questioning manner. "Do you have one?" I asked her. "Yes. A daughter and three lovely grandsons." "Congratulations. So now you're retired?" I had become to get interested in her. "Yes. I've lived out my dream, its time to stop holding everybody else from living theirs out too." I was confused. "Holding them back? How?" I asked her, now intrigued with her way of thinking. "All of the tax money going to seniors could be going to schools. Or welfare. And, if it weren't for my daughter, I would still be working." "I see your point. But seniors are always so wise. They could always be teachers or professors. You could be helping people achieve their dreams. Or just give handy advice to people they meet in town." "Like you?" "Like me." "But, if it weren't for us, more people would have homes and jobs. And with more raw goods like that, everything costs less. Its all about supply and demand. If all senior citizens die right now, they would never be able to buy gas, correct?" "Correct." "Well, then the demand for gasoline would be less, and there would be a surplus of goods. Thus making the price of gas cheaper." "Still. Its no reason to die." "Maybe not. But its a damn good excuse." she chuckled. The whistle of an incoming train startled me. "Jeez. Does time fly or what? Thats my train." I spoke loudly and confidently. "Yes, you better get your things. You don't want to miss the train." she answered. "Nope." I grabbed my things and headed over to the tracks to board the train. I turned back to see her still sitting there. "I never caught your name!" I yelled back to her inquisitively. "I'm just a tricky old woman. My name doesn't matter." she asnwered. "Very well." I muttered to myself. I boarded the train and found a seat, thinking about how wise the woman was. She was delightful, too. I cracked open the window just in time to hear her shout. "And Billy? Get yourself a woman." I chuckled to myself. When the conducter came by I felt around for my wallet to buy a ticket, and I couldn't find it. I looked back out the window and saw her walk briskly out of the station, a wide grin on her face, bright as day. Copyright 2008 Nate Stanford |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 18 April 2008 ) |
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