Jillian Chantal

This week’s word for the Tuesday Tales brigade is weak.  Week and weak made me giggle.  My story is still set on the train to Boston. A bum came into their car and sat by Jane. He was eventually taken off by law enforcement since he didn’t pay his fare. The other passengers think he was overly friendly to the heroine. After that is where we pick up the story.

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“I’m not sure I’d be thrilled to have someone like that want to be my friend. I bet he smelled much worse up close.”  Rashmi glanced up from the screen of her iPhone and stared at me. “Didn’t he?”

Weirdly, her words made me want to defend the man. “It wasn’t so bad.”

Charles laughed. “You’re kidding, right? You almost choked to death when he sat beside you.”

“He seemed nice enough even though he clearly hasn’t bathed in a while. We don’t know his circumstances so we shouldn’t be judging him.” I didn’t know why I was suddenly changing my mind about the situation. While the man was sitting by me, I wanted nothing more than for him to gone. And now here I was, acting like he was my best friend and needing defending from bullies. In actuality, these people were my friends and not him. What’s wrong with me?

“Now you sound like you’re on some soapbox about homelessness. Where’s this coming from?” Anita asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t have any idea. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Martin said. “Don’t you dare.” He had tears in his eyes and surprised me with the vehemence of his words. The man I always thought was abused was now telling me not to back down?

“Settle down, Martin. No one’s going to hurt the girl. We’re just curious why she’d say the bum wasn’t as rank as we all know he was.” Jonathan leaned back and rested his left arm on the seat beside him. “Anything else to say about it, Jane?”

Stunned yet again as Jonathan wasn’t ever this verbal, I could only sit and stare at the two of them.

Kent stood. “We’re almost to the station. Let’s leave poor Jane alone.”

Before anyone could say anything in response, the train pulled in and came to a stop. The doors opened and everyone grabbed their gear and made their way to the exit. Time to start the workday.

As I stepped onto the platform, I glanced to my left and found the two cops escorting the bum toward the elevators.

Almost as if the man sensed me looking, he turned his head and stared at me with a stern look that made my knees weak and I stumbled over nothing. What have I done to deserve that?