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© 2019, Shahan Mafuz

 A Waiting Room Yarn
Shahan Mafuz

Instagram: ​1Shahan​ | LinkedIn: ​linkedin.com/in/shahan.mafuz

Dedicated to My Family

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 The passing clouds in the sky formed the perfect veil for

the full moon. The pitch black night was covered in thick winter

fog. An aroma of mystery filled the ambience around Rosendale

station, a small station where only a few trains would stop only

if passengers demanded. Besides a single platform, the station

did not have any shops. On the other side of the platform was a

rainforest that added to the mystic scenery. On the platform was

a waiting room dimly lit up by street lights. Some light and

dark shadows blended well in the waiting room. There was enough

light to see yet it was dark enough for solitude.

On a wooden bench in the waiting room sat a man in long

grey coat and dark blue jeans. His legs stretched on the small

table with his feet crossed. His eyes closed as his head rested

on the back of the bench. The swinging pendulum in the old wall

clock was the only sound in this small silent room. Suddenly

breaking the silence a young lady entered the room. The sound of

her footsteps made the man open his eyes. He saw the young lady

in black jeans and grey denim jacket with red buttons. She had

long auburn hair flowing past her shoulders. A silver bangle

with ocean blue etches adorned her left wrist. As she put her

bag on the floor and sat on the bench across from the man, the

light from the windowpane illuminated her face. He saw her

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almond-shaped midnight black eyes painted in striking black

eyeliner and graced with lush eyelashes. Her eyes were doorways

to halls of deep tales that intrigue the curious mind to

discover her. Her pleasant smile only heightens the interest

know her more.

Upon noticing that her entranced had interrupted the man’s

respite she decided to apologise.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping as such. Just had my eyes

closed,” he replied.

He noticed her silvery voice. Her tone sounded as if he had

heard her before although he had only seen her a few moments

ago.

There was silence again as they both sat quietly at

opposite ends of the room, occasionally catching glimpses of

each other. She noticed that his style suggested an interest in

classic menswear of the 1950s. From the other end he noticed how

her attire was very well put together. Her minimal jewellery

suggested a touch of simplicity. At once she broke the ice and

asked if it’s okay to open the window.

To this he replied, “Sure. If you don’t mind the cold

breeze.”

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 “I’m from the Northern Highlands. I’m used to cold winter

nights. Plus, this room could do with some fresh air,” she said

with a smile while opening the window.

“So, what brings the girl from the Highlands to Rosendale

at this time?” he inquired.

“I’m passing by. This is a stopover. My train arrives

later,” she replied.

“Is it surprising to see a girl from the Highlands here?”

she asked with a giggle.

“A little bit, I must say. I wasn’t expecting anyone to

come here at this hour,” he replied.

“Well, here I am. I guess things happen when you least

expect them, isn’t it?”

“Fair enough,” he said and continued as he walked towards

her and offered his hand, “Hi, I’m Riz”

“Nice to meet you, Riz. I’m Rebecca”, she introduced

herself and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you too, Rebecca. I’m going to make myself a

cup of coffee. Would you like one?”, Riz asked.

“That’d be nice, thanks.”

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 Riz walked over to the instant coffee machine and started

to make two cups of coffee. He handed a cup to Rebecca and sat

on a chair near her bench.

“So what else do you do Rebecca other than passing by small

lonesome stations at night?” Riz inquired jokingly.

Rebecca broke into laughter and replied, “I have an

interest in photography”.

“Interesting!”, Riz exclaimed. His inclination on how well

colour coordinated Rebecca’s outfit was made sense now.

“What type of photos do you take?”, Riz asked.

“It depends on mood, time and space. Whatever fancies my

mind! Like, I’m thinking to click a few photos of the views from

the far end of the station. The silence of this night, the fog,

the disappearing full moon above the deep rain forest.”

“Fascinating! Wouldn’t it scare you to go to the far end of

the platform and stare outwards?”

“What’s there to be scared of? I don’t think there are wild

animals here, are there?”

“Perhaps not, but there are things other than animals to be

scared of.”

“Please explain!”

“Like spirits or supernatural elements.”

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 After a brief moment of silence Rebecca breaks into a loud

laughter. Riz follows soon as they continue to laugh.

“Was that your best attempt to scare me? If so, you need to

try harder,” Rebecca remarked in an assured tone.

“Is that so? Hmmm! So what scares you, Rebecca?”

“I find deception of humans scarier than the illusion of

spirits,” Rebecca replied in a deep voice.

Riz asked in an arguing tonem, “Why would spirits be

Illusion only?”

“Why would they be anything more than an illusion? Seeing

is believing.”

“True! But sights can be deceptive. We ‘see’ a mirage in

the desert and believe that there is an oasis. When we reach it

we realise that there’s nothing. It was just an illusion.”

Rebecca thoughtfully commented, “You make a fair point,

Sir”. Let me guess you must be a writer or philosopher?”

“Far from it. I manage investment portfolio. The only

writing I do is board reports.”

“Oh! Just when I thought that there might be a different

dimension to the personality of the man, you turn out to be the

boring ‘professional in a suit’ type of guy.”

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 “Ouch! That hurts my entire professional community. How may

I try to swing your opinion?”

“I don’t know, can you? Let’s see that. Take your best shot

at impressing me. If I am impressed I will change my opinion,”

challenged Rebecca.

“Deal,” Riz nodded his head and accepted.

After a moment of thinking, Riz continues, “I can make Rebecca

fly right now”

“Wait! How? Are you planning to lift me and throw across

the room?” Rebecca questioned with a puzzled smile on her face.

Riz asked Rebecca for a pen and a piece of paper. Rebecca

reached for her bag and tore a page from her notebook and handed

it to Riz with a pen. Riz wrote something on the paper and then

began to fold the paper. He made a paper plane with Rebecca’s

name written on it.

“Here you are! I’ve put Rebecca on a plane...” said Riz as

he threw the plane across the room and continued, “and, Rebecca

is flying.”

Rebecca tried to hide her amazement at Riz’s presence of

mind but failed.

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 She laughed heartily and commented, “That was quite well

done. I’m impressed. Although I thought for a moment that you

might ‘really’ make me fly,”

“You never know! Maybe I can create such an illusion where

you feel that you are flying.”

“Oh, really?” she exclaimed.

“You never know!”

Riz went on to ask Rebecca what would have been her guess

on how he was going to impress her.

“ummm. I thought you might sing a song or something”

“I don’t sing. But I do listen to music, replied Riz and

asked, “What sort of music do you listen to?”

“I like Country music. How about you?”

“Mostly Jazz. There’s a type of Jazz for every occasion.

“Yeah, Jazz is good. There are some good jazz and country

music shows at the Riviera Music festival.”

“Yeah. I have heard about it,” Riz acknowledged.

“Are you planning to go?” sked Rebecca.

“Not sure if I can go in daytime.”

“Right! Typical corporate type! Live to work!”

“Let me guess! And, you like to live freely?” Riz reverses

the conversation towards Rebecca.

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 “That’s right! I like being spontaneous, free-spirited and

do things that feed my creativity,” she answered.

“Like?” asked Riz.

“Like, photography, for example,” she says while showing

her camera.

“Nice!” he exclaims raising his thumb.

“I’m gonna go to the far end of the station and try to

capture the essence of this beautiful moonlit night before dawn

breaks,” said Rebecca while taking her bag and moving past Riz.

He stood up as well and couldn’t help but notice how

enchanting Rebecca’s fragrance was. He felt spellbound by a

sheer sense of enigma. As Rebecca stepped out of the room, Riz

went back to where he was sitting. The stress from work and his

medication was beginning to show their effect. He decided to

close his eyes for a while.

Meanwhile Rebecca started to set her camera up and create

interesting frames of the view from the station. She spent quite

a long time creating the perfect frames to capture the

mystifying beauty of this serene night in Rosendale. She clicked

many interesting photos from different spots until the first

light of dawn began to appear. The pitch black night was

dissolving in an emergent glow of dawn. She ventured a bit far

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from the station in search of the perfect shots that illustrated

the poetic scenery. Even though Rebecca had been busy taking

photos, in the back of her mind was the conversation with the

interesting stranger that he had met. She decided to go back to

the waiting room and meet Riz again.

She walked along the pathways of the rainforest taking various

snaps of trees soaked in dew.

Once she reached the waiting room she discovered that there

was no one there. She walked outside the waiting room onto the

platform but there was no sign of Riz. The elderly Station

Master had started his morning shift after resting through the

night in his cabin. Seeing Rebecca in a bit of disarray he asked

if he can help her with anything. She asked him if he had seen a

man in a grey coat and dark blue jeans carrying a brown satchel

bag. He replied that he had not seen such a man. She mentioned

to the Station Master that the man had been in the waiting room

late into the night. To her utter surprise the Station Master

replied that there had not been any passenger in the waiting

room last night.

Rebecca couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She went

onto inquire if he had seen any man board the train earlier in

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the morning. The Station Master assured her that there were a

few passengers that got down at Rosendale from the only train

that stopped by since yesterday but he had not seen any one

board the train. Rebecca asked the old Station Master over and

over again if he was sure. Each time he was resolute in his

response. Rebecca took the Station Master to the exact spot in

the waiting room where Riz was sitting. The grumpy Station

Master pointed to a sign on the wall that read, “Please ring the

bell for lights and other amenities while you wait in this

room”. He reasoned that if anyone had come to the waiting room

then he would have been called. Lastly, he added that he did not

mean to rattle her but in the many years that he had lived in

Rosendale station there had been mysterious myths and urban

legends. He suggested that Rebecca should clear her head as such

mysterious incidents had been reported before.

Rebecca sat in a corner of the waiting room trying to come

to grip with reality. She began to ask herself if Riz was indeed

a mirage just like his analogy. Or, was he the embodiment of a

spirit looking for a medium to free itself? Or, was Riz really

an illusionist who could have actually performed the illusion of

making her fly? Or, was Riz a supernatural being unable to exist

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in broad daylight? The core of Rebecca’s beliefs and sights were

at crossroads.

[Some time before the morning]

The noise from an approaching train broke the silence of the

night as it came to a screeching halt at Rosendale station. The

loudness of the brakes woke Riz up. As he cleared his eyes and

stretched he realised that this was his train. He also realised

that Rebecca had not returned to the waiting room. He put his

bag over his shoulder and headed out into the platform. He

wanted to speak to her again as all this time when he had his

eyes closed he had been thinking of the profound effect that her

presence and personality had on him. He looked all across the

platform but couldn’t see any sign of Rebecca in the fading

darkness. He checked the timetable on the wall to see if any

other train had arrived earlier. To his surprise there had not

been any other train to arrive or depart. As Riz stood

flabbergasted blankly staring at the far end of the platform he

couldn’t really comprehend the reality. He ran to the farthest

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end of the platform; far from the passenger on boarding area. He

saw no signs of her.

The train started to hoot and its wheels started to move.

Caught in the dilemma, he boarded the moving train from the

farthest end of the platform. He sat next to the window in an

empty compartment as the train sped up. He asked himself if

there really was a Rebecca; celestially beautiful with eyes that

could speak a thousand words with every glimpse. Was there

really such a mystic smile that humbled his whole being? Did he

really begin to hit it off with that enticing personality? A new

question struck Riz’s bewildered mind. Was this a hallucination

due to his stress and medicines?

[Meanwhile in the waiting room]

While every bit of Rebecca’s rational mind was arguing

about her surreal experience, something caught her eye. In the

moment of confusion and despair she looked across the room

towards a corner. There it was, the white paper plane with her

name written by Riz. Rebecca rushed to pick it up and her eyes

began to moisten.

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 X

[At the same time in the train]

Riz was struggling to convince himself that he had a

hallucination. Yet this was the most rational explanation that

he could find. He needed to calm his nerves and decided to

smoke. He reached for his packet of cigarettes but noticed

something in his pocket. He took the object out. To Riz’s utter

amazement it was the pen that Rebecca had given him. It had

these words printed on it, “Riviera Music Festival, 9-10 April,

Highlands. Come and live the sound of music.”

Riz gripped the pen tightly and a smile of assurance

painted his face. He looked outside the window in immense joy.

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[A few days later]

Ever since he returned from Rosendale, Riz had spent hours

alone thinking about that night. His mind swayed in a mix of

emotions. On one hand, he collected a very fond memory from that

night. Something that he cherished and put a smile on his face.

A part of his subconscious remained fascinated with the idea of

seeking Rebecca. At the same time, his cogent mind told him that

there are neither reasons nor the means to linger on the

thoughts of someone when he isn’t sure if the interest is

mutual. His mind cautions him against making a fool of himself.

In the midst of all his thoughts a sense of yearning keeps

growing in him that he is unable to silence.

One day he confronts all his thoughts. His only possible

chance of finding Rebecca might be to go to the Riviera Music

Festival and he chose to act on his instinct. He did not know

for sure whether Rebecca will go to the festival as she had not

mentioned any such thing. Yet this was one chance that Riz

needed to take for himself; for his restless mind.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the picturesque part of the

Highlands, Rebecca’s everyday life continued as usual. She had

gotten her logical answer the following morning in Rosendale.

Her encounter with Riz may have been one of chance but it was a

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real one. This had only made her want to know more about the

actual person behind the interesting man. The dilemma she faced

was that she didn't even know where Riz was from. She did not

have any dots to connect and create a path that led to Riz. This

dead-end almost made her feel that perhaps it might have been

better if Riz was just an illusion. At least she could tell

herself that there is no real way to find him.

Rebecca would spend hours reflecting on the reality of her

dilemma and also look back at the conversation she had with the

man whose presence of mind fascinating her; the investment

portfolio manager who admires many types of jazz. At this point

a thought crossed Rebecca’s mind. Could it be that Riz would

visit the Riviera Music Festival? In the same vein she also

thought that would a busy corporate professional really find

time to go to a music festival simply because she had suggested

to him? Perhaps not, she thought to herself. Yet she was

unwilling to leave the stone unturned and decided look for Riz

at the festival. The only constraint was that she was one of the

event photographers for the festival and would be busy covering

it. She had been actively promoting the festival and could not

withdraw at the last minute.

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 X

[On the day of the Riviera Music Festival]

The multi auditorium cultural precinct in Highlands had not seen

such an influx of avid music lovers in a long time. There was a

festive charm in the air. Amateur artists, renowned musicians

and socialites had gathered at the venue. In this sea of people

that kept getting unseemly large it was going to be a struggle

to spot a specific individual. To add to this, Rebecca had only

seen Riz in the seemingly dark waiting room in Rosendale

station. Nonetheless, she had Riz’s appearance etched on her

mind so deeply that she might be able to identify him, she

thought to herself. She figured out that perhaps her best chance

to find Riz might be if she covers the two jazz shows at the

festival. She swapped shifts with another photographer so that

she could cover the jazz shows. She began to wait patiently for

the first show to start.

As the start time of the show approached Rebecca started to

get anxious in anticipation. Yet she tried her best to focus on

work. One by one the patrons started to enter the auditorium.

There were no signs of Riz. Rebecca’s eyes scanned the audience

to look for a resemblance with Riz but there were none. Her

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hopes of finding Riz were beginning to get dented. However, she

continued to cover the remainder of the show. During her break

she began to think to herself that perhaps she was indeed

chasing a mirage and it would end in disappointment. It was too

late for her to turn her mind around.

Later in the day she went on to attend the second jazz

show. Once again her eyes glued to the doorway trying to find

Riz’s face in every other. Minutes turned into an hour but there

was no sign of Riz. The show had ended and with it ended a dash

of hope that Rebecca had been holding onto. A shadow of

dejection cast over her face. She did not want to be discovered

by her group in such a state. She wanted to hide in a crowd.

Rebecca finished her work and noticed that the country

music show was on. She thought that some soulful rendition of

her favourite country ballads might lift her mood. She walked

towards the auditorium from where the echo of her favourite

country song was audible. As she entered the crowded auditorium

the usher pointed her to the only vacant seat. She walked down

the slope to a vacant corner seat. She picked up the program

brochure from the seat and sat down. Although she had not been

able to meet Riz she was beginning to take comfort in the fact

that she had tried. She knew that perhaps she could get over her

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disappointment watching the performance on stage. She flipped

the pages of the brochure to find out the name of the signer and

something caught her eye. On a page of the brochure was her name

written in near calligraphic style. The writing was all too

familiar to her. She had seen it on the paper plane that Riz had

made for her in Rosendale station’s waiting room.

There it was! A ray of sunshine had splattered over

Rebecca’s gloomy mind. Riz was here attending the country music

show with the slimmest of hopes that he might find Rebecca. She

hurried towards the usher to ask if he remembered anything about

Riz. The usher replied that there was a man who left the show

midway and never returned. Rebecca rushed out of the auditorium

running across the hallway onto the foyer. She could not see any

sign of Riz. She asked the staff at the information counter to

announce Riz’s name and ask him to meet her at the foyer. As the

announcement was made Rebecca eagerly waited at the centre of

the foyer. However, she did not see Riz. On her request the

announcement was repeated but to no avail. Rebecca waited for a

very long time and finally decided to leave the place. Though

she had not been able to meet Riz she was somewhat happy that

the feelings were mutual. He was also looking for her.

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 X

[At the Highland station]

Walking across the platform waiting for his return train,

Riz was feeling quite downcast. His rational mind reminding

himself that perhaps he shouldn’t have acted with juvenile

spontaneity deciding to visit the festival in the hope that the

girl he would like to meet would also be there looking for him.

He was unwilling to end this anguish just there. He needed

closure but wasn’t sure how he could get it on his unyielding

desire to meet Rebecca. He began to ask his inner self how he

could get the closure that he needs. A train arrived at the

platform and as Riz turned around his answer was right there. It

was not his train but the one to Rosendale. Riz could feel that

this was a sign. Perhaps the only closure is to spend a few

minutes at the very same place where he had met Rebecca. He

boarded the train. If he had not, then a part of him would have

always craved for closure.

[Rosendale station]

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 It was a silent night similar to the one that prompted Riz

to return to the rarely visited Rosendale. The sky was clear

with a mid-sized crescent decorating it. Patches of fog cloaked

the ambience. Riz walked over to the waiting room and sat in the

same spot as last time. There was a sense of serenity in the

air. Riz’s mind wanted to feel the reminiscence of the time that

he had spent with Rebecca. He closed his eyes and leaned his

head backwards. After quite some time he was alerted by the

footsteps of someone entering the room. He opened his eyes to

discover that it was the old Station Master.

“Sir, you should have called for me to switch the lights

and turn the heating on for you”, said the Station Master in a

thick accent while switching on the appliances with his keys.

“It’s okay I wanted to sit in the dark for a while,

thanks”, replied Riz.

“You shouldn’t really sit in the dark, my man. There are

spine chilling stories about this place. A few days back a young

lady witnessed a spirit in the room. According to her the spirit

talked to her, shared coffee with her and then disappeared,”

revealed the Station Master.

The Station Master’s tale drew Riz’s attention. He asked if

the Station Master could describe the young lady.

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 “She was one of a kind. Very pretty and had long auburn

hair,” he said.

“What else can you tell me about her?” Riz inquired

curiously.

“She was desperately looking for the guy she believed she

had met here in the waiting room. I told her that she must have

been mistaken. Still she kept looking in despair. Oh, yes… She

had a camera in her hand.”

Riz was astonished by the Station Master’s last statement.

He knew that it was Rebecca. All his misgivings about whether

she had any genuine interest in her began to vanish. Riz asked

the Station Master if she had left any contact information to

which he replied in negative. The more Riz thought about the

Station Master’s words the more he began to yearn to meet

Rebecca. But he knew it was not to be. Would it have been better

to not know that she had also looked for him? Or, should he take

solace in knowing that she had? A feeling of anguish covered his

mind.

Before bidding goodbye to the waiting room he stood near

the window and looked at the light outside. It was in this mild

light that he had seen Rebecca’s radiant face for the first

time. As he stood near the window looking outside, a train had

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just stopped at the platform. He continued to look at the view

when he heard the footsteps of someone entering the room. Riz

turned around and couldn’t believe his eyes.

There she was; across the waiting room, at the doorway.

Rebecca had also come to spend a few moments of solitude in the

waiting room and get some closure. To her utter surprise the man

she had hoped to meet earlier in the day was just a few yards

away when she least expected.

They rushed towards each other and paused. Their joyous

smiles added to the glow on their faces. Their sparkling bright

eyes speaking to each other in silence. With his eyes glued to

Rebecca’s Riz opened his arms. She wrapped her arms around him

as he enclosed his around her. Riz could smell the same

fragrance that had captivated him last time. Rebecca felt a

sense of belonging that she had longed for. Neither of them knew

for how long they held the warm embrace.

At once Riz spoke in a soft voice, “If I am dreaming don’t

wake me up. If I’m awake don’t let me close my eyes.

To this Rebecca whispered back, “If you are a spirit don’t

fade away. If you are an illusionist keep me spellbound.”

********************

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