Passage III

Train to Kolkata

When I returned home to India recently, I had to travel from Delhi to Kolkata, the city where I was born and where I still have many relatives living there. To save money, I decided to take the train instead of by plane. Unlike in the United States, in my native land travel by train is extremely common between many of the countries major cities—Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, Darjeeling, Shimla, and Agra, to name only a few.

At the busy station in Delhi, I found my name on a passenger list posted on one of the sleeper cars and boarded the overnight train. With our luggage carefully stowed, we left the station at five in the afternoon. By then, the city vanished behind us, and the green fields of Uttar Pradesh spread out on either side of the tracks. Though we were traveling at high speeds, the ride was smooth.

In the hours before nightfall, I watched the landscape change. The color of the earth, the shapes of dwellings, and the silhouettes of grazing animals against the setting sun all held my attention. The view stirred pleasant memories of my childhood. Mesmerized,I never bothered to unpack the books or magazines I had brought along to pass the hours. (36)

[1] At dinnertime, a waiter serving hot meals came through the car. [2] Afterward, with the flip of a few latches, my seat turned into a bunk bed. [3]Just like when I was little, the clean sheets, the cushion beneath me was soft, and the gentle rocking of the train made it easy to drift into a deep, soothing sleep. [4] I woke in the morning to a view of the Bengal countryside speeding by. [5] As a child, I would of craned my neck to spot a visible landmark. [6] Some thirty years later, I was delighted to see the bridge again. [7] Its' metal spires rose out of the mist as if nothing had changed, or ever would. [8] Sipping from a warm cup of fragrant chai, the patter was noticeable of a soft rain that had begun to fall. [9] Now I miss the comforting sound of that train. [10] When we pulled into Howrah station, there were my relatives waiting to take me home. (44)