Tube stories – Piccadilly Circus

I’m sitting on the Tube in London, from Hammersmith to Piccadilly Circus.

He sits in his seat completely exhausted. His work is draining. He breathes deeply in and out, shaking his head. Headphones in his ears are supposed to distract him, but he doesn’t even listen to the song floating through his head. His head. A hammering feeling in the very back prepares him for the headache he will have to cope with when he arrives at home. Again, he is shaking his head. First, all these dumb and stupid customers at work who won’t even find the chocolate when they are standing right in front of it. Today there was this one old lady who honestly asked him if he was too short-sighted for university. Maybe the government is too “short-sighted” to give all young people the possibility to study? Which leaves him with no other option than working at this shitty place. Once again, he is shaking his head. This time not because of the customers. No. Because of his girlfriend. He just moved in with her and he is already regretting his decision. Constantly, he has to explain himself when coming home late from work. Where have you been? Who did you meet? With whom did you talk? His honest answer “I had to stay at work longer” isn’t considered true by her. He sighs and looks up. Luckily, the Tube is approaching the station he needs to get off at, this girl has been staring at him for like forever …

I’m sitting on the Tube in London, shortly before Piccadilly Circus.

She puts her headphones in her ears and starts the music. Her favourite playlist, even if it is a little bit unconventional – mostly classical piano music. She sighs slightly, leans back and starts searching for her book in her bag. Finally, she grabs the golden cover and opens the novel on the page she stopped reading previously. Her absolute favourite book – she has already read it three times but also, after reading it a fourth time, it is still the best book on earth. The story is brilliant. A young queen, freshly crowned and ready for her duties at court, meets her new stable master. It is love at first sight. But she lives in the 18th century, a time in which it was impossible to think of marrying below her class. “Her eyes met Jamie’s and she knew that the two of them were meant for each other”. She is not on the Tube anymore but in the stable facing Jamie. The piano in her ears plays an affectionate melody. With a smile on her face, she is sitting on her seat…

I hear “Piccadilly Circus”, pass the girl with the golden book and leave the Tube.