😉 Greetings, dear readers! The story “Faster than the Train” is about how two girls, having missed the train, ended up at home two days earlier.
For Old New (1984), after the winter session, my sister and I decided to go home. Our way lay from Irkutsk to Barnaul. By train – three days. Tickets were bought in advance, changing each other in a huge queue for several days.
When, finally, with tickets in hand, we got out of the crowd, the first thing I did was to check them. And she found that the number of the train’s departure was incorrect. Small punched holes on the tickets indicated not the day we expected.
So I returned and, with difficulty, made my way through the crowd to the cashier’s window. But from the checkout window I received a rude answer. They say that the cashier knows better how to draw up travel documents, and there is no need to interfere with her work.
The line was supported by the cashier, pushing me aside. People got tired of standing in this crush, and other people’s problems with ticketing only annoyed.
Realizing that I could not agree with the cashier and the pushing crowd, I turned to the information desk. They politely said that the tickets were in order, there was no need to worry. The number is correct. At this point I began to doubt that I was right. Everyone, except me, cannot be wrong.
The day of departure came. The train departed late in the evening, on New Year’s Eve, according to the old style. My sister and I got to the station, waited for boarding, entered the carriage. But our seats were taken by other passengers. And, as it turned out, legal, according to the seats indicated on the tickets. A conductor came up and began to understand the situation.
– Your train left a few days ago. See the number? – he told us and asked to leave the car.
I was right about the wrong tickets at the box office. But it didn’t matter now. The train left, but we were left with tears in our eyes. What to do? The tickets are gone. No money left. The little sister looked at me with hope. She knew that I would think of something.
Everything that is done is for the best
For two kopecks lying around in my pocket, I dialed the number of Albina’s fellow student from a telephone booth. I had never called her before, and this number happened to be in my notebook. And now it came in handy!
After describing the situation, I asked for a loan to go home. Despite the late hour and the baby, Albina immediately agreed to help, explained how to get to her.
Public transport no longer ran. We had to catch a taxi, hoping that we would pay the taxi driver from the money taken from Albina. We had no idea that the situation had already begun to change for the better. Apparently, somewhere up there, they decided to help us.
Night passenger
The taxi was found very quickly, but there was a passenger in the cabin. He was a handsome man, a respectable man. It turned out that he was with us on the way, to the same street, to a neighboring house. He politely asked why the attractive girls were upset and if we needed help.
The little sister told our story. The passenger immediately offered help. He said that he would easily help with tickets, but not for the train, but for the plane. Just in case, he gave the number of his work and home phone numbers. Despite objections, he paid for the taxi himself.
The car took us to the entrance of the desired house. Albina met us, calmed us down and gave us money for the trip. And we immediately went to the airport.
Surprisingly, the help of the taxi wizard was not needed! At the box office, to our surprise, we freely bought tickets for the next flight and two hours later were on the plane. And two hours later we were in Barnaul.
Our parents were still asleep when we appeared on the doorstep at dawn on January 14th. They were delighted, but also surprised: after all, a telegram sent by us on the eve of our departure announced that we would arrive two days later. And the train, which we never managed to get on, was still on the way. And we are already at home! Faster than the train! Joy, laughter, hugs!
On the same day, I sent the debt to Albina by wire transfer. A month later, the railway satisfied the complaint and returned the money for incorrectly issued tickets.
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