scene: woodland brook road (yes, this in the name of a road near my house. it flooded this fall. there really is a brook.)
saturday, 1:20pm
as i approach the railroad crossing i see a father and son on the opposite side, holding hands and standing on the sidewalk a couple feet from where the tracks cross the road. just standing - not walking. the father is in his thirties and the kid is four or so. i realize they are waiting and hoping a train will pass by. i am hopeful for them - that they won't have to wait long; this is a busy crossing, by my standards - maybe four trains pass by an hour. i shift into third gear as i cross the tracks and head down the hill on the other side, and in the split second it takes to do this the bells start to ring and the lights start to flash and a train is approaching. i look over at the boy and his face is pure surprise and pure anticipation. and i wish i could stop and watch him watch the train.
Oh Claire, this made me teary... so sweet. Thanks again for yesterday-- you're the best! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThe boy has probably never been on a train, and except for the subway, the father probably has not, either. But there is just something about trains; along with the horse, it is embedded in our national psyche.
ReplyDeleteDo you think they had put a penny on the tracks?
That is so cute! And like John, I hope they put a penny there! My dad used to do that all the time when we were little (er, ok maybe not ALL the time, we didn't see trains that often) and we loved it!
ReplyDeletewe would put a penny on the tracks, too; SO exciting when you are little. and even exciting when you are older. :)
ReplyDelete