Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine #12

A Trip in Time Nervous trepidation filled my mind just as I was to travel to Rhode Island to visit friends. Even though I had been an avid traveller in the past, I had to face the fact that now I couldn't walk very far without getting out of breath and feeling stress in all my joints. I wondered how would I get to Pennsylvania Station in New York City with my little suitcase and successfully make the transition from the bus station to the train. So, I eagerly accepted my husband's offer to drive me to the Station; however, the early morning rush hour traffic in Manhattan was a bear. Construction everywhere, horns honking in awful, brutal cacophony. People rushing, traffic: trucks and buses and cabs. My time was fast ticking away. The train was leaving at 8:30 am, and it was 8:23 as we pulled into the entrance of the station.

I leapt out of the car, dragging the suitcase bumping along behind me and I pushed into the belly of the train station. I stopped in horrified amazement -- people rushing everywhere, unintelligible overhead speaker announcements that just sounded like a dull roar. Abruptly startled by camouflaged soldiers carrying machine guns and bomb sniffing dogs on leashes held by tough-looking men, I could hardly draw breath. I gasped out, "Where's the train to Boston?"

"Track 8W," responded a bored looking train official.

Track 8 felt like it was a football field away as I stumbled towards it. Finally, with the last bit of energy, I dragged myself to track 8, but it was 8E, where was 8W? "Boston?" I croaked. Someone pointed across to the other side of the platform. People were getting off that train, and I had to push myself down against the mobs of commuters coming up the stairs. I looked at my watch which registered 8:30 exactly. At the same moment I met the eye of the conductor who asked "Boston?" I nodded wearily, and he reached out and pulled me and my luggage into the train car just as the train door closed behind me without a second to spare. I nodded thank you be-