Sketch for a Later Work

"You don't need to see my ticket."

The conductor was only momentarily confused.  The passengers around him hadn't started listening yet.

"I don't need to see your ticket."

His seat mate thought, "wait, this sounds familiar."

"This train is now an express."

There was an almost imperceptible tinge of question to the tone, like he wasn't sure but he was still saying it.  The conductor removed all doubt.

"This train is now an express," he stated emphatically.  

He was feeling very satisfied with himself, now, in charge of the situation.  Even HE wanted it to be an express but he never had the guts to just say it.  Why shouldn't it be an express?  Why did it have to stop all the time?  It would be easier if they went straight on through to Grand Central and this whole confusing episode could be over with.  He couldn't remember why now that he was thinking about it but the whole train ride, up until he started talking to this handsome gentleman with the close-cropped beard, had been a real annoyance.  Who were these people anyway?  Everyone with their electronic devices and their feet on the seats.  And the farting and the slurping of coffee.  But then there was this guy and his young friend, thoroughly pleasant people, and now the train was an express.  

"You'd better tell the engineer."

My God, his voice was like an angel.  It made him feel all creamy inside.  Some of the other passengers started looking at him with confused glances.  They were trying to figure out what was going on.  "Fuck you you rotten screw-heads," he thought.  Mind your business.  The only reason he would want to stop now would be to throw their assess off the train.

"Step aside, I'm coming through now."

He passed through to the next car.  The announcement came over the train speakers, oddly enough, in haiku:

"We're now an express,

No more stops till Grand Central

Force having been used."