“How did you do it? Could you be honest and not beat around the bush?” I asked Lily, my face earnest and my eyes fixed on hers. She was like my younger sister, but life had thrown me a curveball, so I was focusing on myself, which made me drift away from her despite her many missed calls. But today, I saw that bag, my concern for her grew, since trouble was her last name. By inquiring about it, I wanted to create the trust that had long been gone. We had not been in touch for months. That changed now, when she accidentally bumped into me. The bag popped open. Its contents flew all over.
Lily took a couple of deep breaths, and her eyes darted into mine as she began, “I was late for work, so I was rushing through the subway station when I tripped over a brick in the middle of the path. The whole station echoed with the rattle of trains and the hurried footsteps of commuters. The cold concrete scraped my palms as I fell, and the glare from the fluorescent lights made the bright yellow safety stripes blur before my eyes. At first, I cursed my luck because I saw my train leave the station. The screech of the doors closing mocked me as I lay there, embarrassed in front of the crowd. Then I pulled myself up and stared at the brick. Its rough, dusty surface felt gritty in my hand, and it was strangely warm from all the passing feet. People at the station asked about my welfare, and I merely nodded yes because I was not interested in small talk. I picked up the damn brick, hoping to put it aside so nobody else gets hurt. Underneath it, I found a key with a tag attached. The metal was cool and heavy in my fingers, and the curved edges pressed against my palm. The paper had clues we used to play with when egg hunting. I was amused. I had to wait fifteen minutes for my next train, so I went with the flow. The paper read, ‘keep the brick on the side where there is a wall.’ That made me walk all the way around the station to find a wall. Both sides have trains coming and going. The smell of grease and metal followed me as I moved past the vibrating tracks. I found a wall that led to a door to a room. The wall was rough, with peeling paint that dusted my knuckles as I brushed against it. As I kept the brick there, the wall read, ‘don’t be shy, enter the room,’ which I did, but with hesitation, after a couple of knocks and no answer. The door creaked open, its old hinges groaning in protest. Inside, it was dim, with the faint musty smell of forgotten things. I found a trunk with a big lock. The trunk was old, battered, and the wood felt dry and splintery under my fingers. It confused me, but then the key in my hand made me think of unlocking it. To my surprise, it did. I looked outside the room, hoping to see someone, but when I peeped out, everyone was just running about their business. I opened the trunk and found a bag with a thank-you note on it. The bag was velvet, soft and a little dusty, and inside I found these gems. They were cool and smooth, catching every bit of stray light and throwing small rainbows across my hands. Just then, I heard the announcement of the upcoming train, which happened to be mine to work. I quickly grabbed the bag and darted toward my train when I bumped into you, who, as usual, always thought of me up to some mischief.”
“Your gesture to clear the path was rewarded handsomely,” I said with enthusiasm. I helped her quickly put those precious stones back in the bag. Then we boarded the train. That train journey helped us patch up the lost time and revive our friendship. It was a win-win situation for both of us!
