Scenes from Brno Train Station

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From dawn till dusk has never been so short, the day had started off gloomy and got gloomier. It was only 9 a.m. but already it felt like teatime. The sun was on annual leave and was the kind of worker who didn't go anywhere near the workplace outside work hours. Its phone was off and out of office reply firmly on. Faces reflected the weather, grey, heavy and looking like the waterworks could start any minute. Smiles were few and far between and and anyone who did raise a smile was scowled at like a person sneezing without covering their nose. There were plenty of people sneezing too, sneezing, coughing, sniffling and sniffing; cold season was upon us and the 'just about healthy' were up and about but wishing they were in bed.

The twins looked resplendent in their bright pink winter coats and matching woollen hats. They were both in their own world toddling behind their stressed looking mother who was trying to manoeuvre the double buggy up the stairs to the platform. She called back to her two dawdling children who were waving merrily at the departing train and giggling when people waved back.

‘C’mon’ said the mother, before realising that the train her children were waving to, was the very train they were meant to be getting on. At first the mother was angry, annoyed with the kids, annoyed with the train, annoyed with life. But then she looked at the bright eyes and smiles on the twins' faces and smiled to herself; she didn’t really want to go to see her mother-in-law anyway.

The man in the suit looked like last night had been at least one beer too long. His eyes were heavy and slightly blood shot. He clung hold of his coffee cup as if it were his amber nectar. Regret was writ large across his face, that last beer or that last shot was playing on his mind and playing with his tummy. He yawned without covering his mouth so that his yellowish tongue was visable to all and sundry. Then his phone buzzed; a message from someone. He took the phone from his pocket, skillfully flicked the cover from it in one easy motion. His face lit up, the smile spread and the colour returned. Forget the coffee, whoever had sent that message was his real elixir of life.

The coffee seller looked like she might have served one coffee too many already today and it was barely 9am. Her face scowled as she steamed yet another pot of milk for yet another stupid latte. Despite the heat of the steam, she shivered from the cold breeze blowing into the station. She wished she could get on one of those trains and leave forever. Vienna, Budapest, Munich all sounded better than a coffee stall on Brno station. She wondered if people selling coffee in those stations were wishing they were in Brno. No, no one ever wishes they were in Brno, not even those who called it home. She was so absorbed in the thought that at first she didn’t see the man standing waiting for his coffee. But when she looked up her knees went a little weak and her face blushed just a little as she got absorbed like she did every day by his cute smile. One day she thought to herself, one day she’ll slip her phone number in to the coffee sleeve. Then she smiled back at the man and thought why one day? Why not today? And wrote her name and number boldly on the coffee cup.

A collective sigh went around the hall and eyes rolled to the heavens as the news flicked up on the screen that the Prague train was running 20 minutes late. Commuters had been under starters orders, ready for the dash to the platform but now they were stood down, muttering angrily to themselves or getting out phones and punching in angry messages explaining their predicament to waiting customers or relatives. Brno station was no place to spend an extra twenty minutes on a cold, grey morning and experience told the travellers that a 20 minute delay would at least double by the time they reached Prague. But the man in the long grey coat was smiling. He’d just arrived at the station and was relieved to see his tardiness had been rewarded. Had the train gone on time, he’d have missed it and that would have been the final straw for his boss. But now he had time for a coffee, and a bottle of water and would still get on the train, his job was safe… for now.