And there I was sitting in the cold waiting for my city-bound train to arrive on platform number one in Hornsby. No I don’t have a car. Yet! So there I was waiting for my train to arrive on a dry but very cold and windy night. The kind of night you feel good company or an engrossing fiction helps more than being battered in the winter chill. I sat on the edge of one of those metal platform benches. On the other end of the same bence was a guy — his face turned away in anticipation of a train. I probably assumed there but I think I was right. Yes we were both looking down the railway tracks as far as we could see… the floroscence glow from the low overbridge lights in the distance lit the tracks in places. It was cold indeed. Soon I heard a little murmur! A burly gentleman inquiring about the trains to one of the railway cleaners…. two consecutive trains had been cancelled! Customers are going to be a little irate for sure and it was a Saturday night! Cold and misty. About 3 degrees C!

Soon enough this same old gentleman was standing right in front of me…he was obviouly waiting for the eye contact and just as I looked up:

Burly Gentleman: “Do you have lollies?”

Me(apologetic): “Mmm, no sorry I don’t have any lollies on me”

(I thought he was acutely diabetic)

Burly Gentleman(cracked up): “Wasn’t asking for lollies though, I asked do you have a light?

He looked at the other person on the end of the bench.

Me: “Oh… right! Wondered why u asked for lollies hahaha! Sorry, I don’t smoke.”

The guy at the other end of the bench offered a lighter and he gladly accepted it. Lit his cigarette in a flash and returned it back!

Burly Gentleman: “Ah good on you spider!”
He looked at me and said, “well have a good one. ‘Tis cold in it?”

Me: “Its freezing! Wish the trains weren’t cancelled! Then again it might be asking too much from Cityrail?

Burly Gentleman: “Haha, I asked the cleaner a moment ago why the trains were late. He’s got a good sense of humour!

Me: You reckon, what did he say?

Burly Gentleman: “He’s a ripper, said the trains got lost in the mist hahahaha!”

Me: “Hahaha! Good one indeed!”

And slowly we winded up the nice little conversation. It was interesting all the same! Positive attitude does make a difference. The cleaner certainly had the best attitude working on a cold freezing saturday night while we were complaining about trains being out of schedule by 20 minutes! I turned around towards the guy sitting on the other end of the same bench and thought I’d give it a try being a little more social than normal. Worst case…. he’d ignore me…

Me: “Isn’t it really cold?”

Heo: “Sorry! I dont speak good english?”

Me (slowly): Isn’t it really cold tonight?

Heo: “Yes”

Me: “Did you have a good day so far?”

Heo: “Was OK”

Me: “My name is Amit.”

Heo: “I am Heo”

to be continued…