Racing the train

Today when I went out to the corner at sundown, I looked up the street and saw someone waiting for the streetcar. Looking down the street I wasn’t sure if I could see a train coming or not.

So, I approached the man who was waiting and asked him if that was a train in the distance and he said, “Yes. Three minutes”. Well, that would be a few minutes before the sunset, but I thought I’d ask him anyway. He didn’t want to do ring any bells, but he was curious about why I was doing it. I told him what I’ve been telling other people- that I had been to India and that whole towns of people greeted the sun everyday with bells and music. I loved that and wanted to do it here. He laughed but still didn’t want to ring the bell. Neither did the woman who had just come to wait.

The train came at exactly 5:05 just as it had the other day. So I rang the bell by myself.