Timing
© 2007
Dan Johnson

Saturday in Portland:
The train left Union Station at 4:50pm,
five minutes late, that’s not bad for Amtrak.
Larry called to say they had crossed the Columbia
River and were under way…
then the cell phone signal went dead.

Sunday, someplace in Eastern Montana:
Larry called to remind me about calling
Darnell and David, which I’d done. Train
Was sitting at a siding somewhere, waiting
For Union Pacific to send a freighter through,
Seems they have the right of way, train is now
one hour late getting to St Paul;
one hour and ten minutes to be precise.

Monday morning, the Wisconsin Dells:
Train is now one hour thirty-three minutes late.
Larry calls to say that they expect to be in Chicago
By 4pm. I recall a restaurant I use to frequent when
I lived near the windy city. Larry says if he
Has the chance, he’ll check it out.
Then in particular order
Larry lists the plus side of taking coach. His
Coach was nearly empty all the way from Portland,
he got to sit by the only electrical outlet in the car, so that he could keep his laptop charged up. The AC worked too well,
and finally, he was close to the john
then he said, in no uncertain terms he was glad
he brought a blanket and pillow; reminding me
that when I go to West Virginia in the fall,
that I do the same; I agree.
Sometimes I think he forgets I’ve traveled our
rail system quite often.

Monday evening, the train is now two hours late:
“We’re just getting into Chicago, don’t have time
to find the restaurant you recommended and it’s no
fun schlepping luggage around an unforgiving city.”
I remind Larry that he’s now an old geezer, like me,
and that he should take it easy.

The call goes out for the eastbound train to load at 9pm CST,
But after boarding, they just sit…and wait.
then at 11pm it rolls out of town.
now the train makes up for lost time
and picks up speed flying across Northern Indiana,
on his way east to Rochester NY.
Train is now one hour twenty-seven minutes late.

Tuesday morning approximately 8:30am PST:
Larry calls to say that the train will be rolling
into Rochester in two minutes. I remind Larry to say hello
to Bill and then the call ends.

Ten minutes later Larry calls, voice shaken:
Larry tells me that just as the train was coming
into the station, someone,
a guy,
can’t tell how old he is,
stepped in front of the still moving train. The train is
now stopped and Larry says that they will not be allowed
to leave for another hour…or so. It seems they
have to investigate, file reports, ask questions, require
drug tests of the crew…and the passengers, who will be nearly three hours late in arriving on time, sadly, sit and wait.

I called Larry back about an hour later, he was fine,
sad, but realistic enough to know that no matter how
tragic the event, that’s life…

Question too difficult to answer:
If the train would have left Portland on time would the stranger have stepped in front of the moving locomotive in Rochester NY?

Dan Johnson
© 2007