-How I enjoy traveling by train, don’t you?, said Margie to the man sitting by her.
-I prefer a plane but I couldn’t find tickets for my trip from Paris to Vienna.
- -You won’t regret the experience. The train allows you to contemplate landscapes that you cannot see from highways or airplanes.
– Yes, but they are slower and more uncomfortable.
-Uncomfortable? You can get up, walk around the wagon, go to the restaurant. They have many advantages.
– You’re right: the views are spectacular.
– Wait until we get to the Vienna Woods. We will go through them. It is like a fairy tale.
– I see you’re taking notes.
– I keep a diary of my trip to Europe.
– And that golden pen is authentic? You should be careful and keep it in your bag: it must be precious, and someone could steal it.
– I’ll be cautious, she said and put the pen in her purse.
The travelers enjoyed for a while the landscape, and then, he invited her for lunch at the restaurant.
Margie began to fantasize about the new friendship with that handsome and elegant man she had met by chance on the train. Would it be the beginning of an adventure?
They returned to their compartment. The combined effect of the wine with the train’s rattle that lulled the travelers made them sleepy.
Margie awoke to a tapping on her window. The train had stopped. She opened her eyes and saw her new friend out there on the platform of a small station smiling with the gold pen in his hand.
- Trust no one; he mouthed to her.
And the train started.
She quickly went through her bag and found that the Don Juan from the train had stolen everything she had of value.
She shouldn’t trust that man no matter How nice he was.
Now she would have to start a new adventure. Very different to the one she had imagined: Survive in Vienna, thousands of miles from home, without even a coin.
I was fascinated when you posted the Spotify link. How did you do that?
When you click to publish your post, in the dashboard at the right side of the screen there is a message that says if you want to turn your post in a podcast You only have to click there and follow the instructions. It’s easy. You have the option to record your own post with your voice or to have automatically recorded for you I opted for the second because I have a thick accent in English.
Did it. A bit of a faff but I got there. I just added it to my response to this prompt. I’m not sure I’ll bother again – I read a couple of poems into SoundCloud but while the posts got views, nobody listened to the audio.
Yeah, it’s true. I don’t have many listeners, but I hope, with time the audience will grow. Hope is free.
Poor Margie! Here’s hoping she won’t come across any thieves while she’s in Vienna.
I hope so. Besides, she had nothing left to them.