Jamie reached the station on time, as usual, and boarded the train. Occupying his favourite seat by the window, he opened Orwell’s 1984 and started to read. The twenty minute journey was one he found to be relaxing and he always managed to take stock of his thoughts and situation during the ride. Today however, Jamie’s mind was elsewhere and no matter how hard he tried, concentrating on his book seemed impossible. He looked outside, trying to focus on Nature’s beauty instead but even that didn’t help.

At the next station, Wanda entered the train. Seeing that no other seat was empty, she sat opposite Jamie. She had a journal with her which she started writing in as soon as the train continued slugging forward. After writing a rather sloppy poem, she closed her journal and gazed out of the window with a strangely dreamlike expression on her childishly innocent face.

Jamie, after looking at her and finding her appearance agreeable, worked up the nerve to start a conversation.

“Pleasant day today, isn’t it?”

Wanda, looked at him with her puppy-like eyes and finding his appearance favourable, smiled.

“Yes, it is.”

“Pity, I’m having a rough day though.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ve been ruminating on the purpose of this exasperating thing called life and so far no satisfying answers have come my way.”

Wanda laughed a timid little laugh.

“Well, it’s a strange coincidence, but I’ve been thinking quite a bit about life too, today.”

Jamie looked at her curiously, his hand curled up below his faintly stubbled chin.

“Really? And has your luck been better than mine?”

“Well I wouldn’t say that, I mean, I believe that no answers are ever certain. But I have come to a few conclusions of my own.”

“Hmm. Would you care to elucidate?”

Wanda laughed again, a wee bit louder this time. Jamie found that her laugh made him want to laugh, and he gladly obliged.

“Um alright. Living with the purpose of finding life’s definitive purpose, if there’s one that is…it reeks with futility. Don’t bother seeking answers because when you do, you’re not living. Life isn’t just a game with a big prize awaiting you at the end.”

She stopped abruptly, and looked nervously at him, the blood clearly rising in her hitherto pale face.

“Sorry, I feel like I’m rambling…you must think I’m such a snob; giving homilies about life as though I’ve got it all figured out.”

Jamie, finding that his mind had quietened down, felt intrigued by this strange and funny woman.

He told her,” Go on, you’re not boring me at all!”

She seemed comforted by this, and in an incongruously authoritative manner cleared her throat.

“Fine then. So what I’ve come to understand is, life is being present in the moment. As simple as that. Maybe there’s a purpose and maybe there isn’t. But does it honestly matter? I mean, you’re here aren’t you? What more could there possibly be? And that’s the beauty of existence! There’s only the here and the now and if we understand this potent fact, we’ll be so much happier.”

Her face had become animated and Jamie found himself enjoying her vivacity. For a split second, it seemed as though another person had taken her place, but in a flash, she returned to her anxious state.

“Of course these are my thoughts, and one might not agree with them, but I don’t care” she added in a slightly defensive manner.

Jamie gazed out of the window at the scenery for a minute before answering.

“I don’t think I agree with all that you’ve said, but that might only be because I’m too caught up with the travails of this world, and haven’t been able to truly absorbed your words, although they seemed lucid enough. Strangely, I feel like what you said was exactly what I needed to hear.”

He smiled at her, and she smiled back. An unseen understanding seemed to have united their souls for a moment that seemed both ephemeral and immortal at once.

The train screeched to halt. They looked into each other’s eyes, stepped out of the compartment and went their separate ways, each of their steps a little lighter than before.