The Subway, Part 2

Whoa, sorry folks! New job started this week, lots of stuff going on, a little busy. Good news: I got internet at home! Bad news: my computer was being really annoying and appeared to have deleted the network I so carefully had set up. So, attempting to set it up again. Why should it just work, afterall? That would be silly.

So here's part 2 of 3 of my Subway story. They're really meant to be all read together, but I figured that it's too long for one entry. So if you haven't already, read part one first.


Marty whistled while he walked. He didn’t do it to tick people off, or to make them happy. There was no particular reason; often he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. But his mother had told him once to whistle to be happy and it had stuck with him. Not that he needed any reminders to be happy. Marty was always happy, it was just his nature. Today he was especially happy because he was going to the bookstore. The bookstore was a special treat, a place he only got to go to when he was good all week. There were many things Marty enjoyed about the bookstore. He liked Teri, the waitress, who always gave him hot chocolate with a straw. Then there was Barbara who would read books to him if she wasn’t too busy. That was his favorite part, and he tried to go when no one else would so she wouldn’t be too busy. His mother told him what time he should go so it wouldn’t be crowded there. If it’s crowded at the bookstore, Barbara will be more busy because she has to take care of the other people. It’s not that she doesn’t want to read books to me, but her job is to help everybody, not just Marty.

Marty went down the stairs just like mother had told him to, bought his ticket, and sat down on a bench. He had only ridden the subway by himself a few times before and was really excited about riding it today. There weren’t many people in the station, but he was pretty early. He didn’t want to miss it because then he wouldn’t know what to do. Marty just sat on his bench, watching as more and more people gathered as it came closer to the time the subway was supposed to come. Finally it came and he got on the train with everyone else. He went in, looked around for a minute and sat down.. A nice old lady was on one side of Marty and smiled at him. He smiled back politely just like his mother had taught him to do. On his other side was a man with blue hair. I wonder why he has blue hair? Most people do not have blue hair. Marty tried not to stare but it was fascinating, that someone would purposely make their hair blue, of all colors. He was reading a book and Marty leaned over to see what he was reading. I’m going to the bookstore, Marty remembered. Maybe Barbara can read to me today. He read some of the words in the book the man with the blue hair had and didn’t really understand them. Why do people read boring books?

Just as the doors were about to close a woman rushed onto the car, looking relieved that she had made it in time. Marty decided that she looked tired and a little stressed, and thought that he could let her sit in his chair. He wasn’t tired, and he liked to stand on the subway. His mother would be proud of him for doing such a nice thing for this lady. So he politely smiled at her, started to stand up, and told her to take his chair. No thanks, she said, I’ll just stand. A little puzzled, Marty moved away from his chair a little more. I want to offer my seat, and I’d be really happy if you sat in it, he said. Again the woman said no, I’d prefer to stand.

Marty didn’t know what to do, he was just trying to be nice, and this lady wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t just sit back down now, he had offered her his seat and he meant it. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved to the other side of the train and held onto the pole there. Maybe she would see that he wasn’t sitting there anyway and change her mind. I hope so! She looks so tired. He looked over and sure enough, she was still standing there. Marty didn’t understand why she was still standing, but his mother had taught him to mind his own business. The lady took something out of her bag and started to read it. At that Marty smiled. I’m going to the bookstore today, he thought, and Barbara’s going to read to me if she’s not too busy. Soon the train slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Marty remembered that his mother had told him to get off the first time the subway stopped and turn left. He did so, and noticed that the lady went the other way. He looked back at her, still wondering why she wouldn’t sit in his seat. The man with the blue hair was in front of him. He wanted to touch it, make sure it was real, but he was pretty sure his mother would tell him not to. Oh well, I’m still happy. I’m going to the bookstore today. Maybe, if Barbara isn’t too busy she’ll read to me.