Subway Strangers

How many messages could that have been by now?

Soraya was far too afraid to even peer at the eager messages compiled of complaints and requests sent by her manager. She felt the phone continue to vibrate in her pocket begging to be answered during what was supposed to be her break. Her lips softly muttered profanities under her breath as she glanced over the times for each of the subway trains. Her concentration was interrupted by a buzzing at her side once again. Soraya snatched out the phone to silence the incessant reminders of her horribly busy and consuming life.

'Just another reason for me to quit already,' she thought to herself.

People were quick to brush past or blatantly force their way through the crowded station halls during the late night. Of course, who would expect any less from a bustling town on New Year's Eve. The dull painted station shimmered with glowing colors and flashing lights. People passing were conversing with loved ones on the phone about coming to meet them or were already enjoying the holiday with their loved one in the moment. Soraya almost hoped that getting past the crowd would be just difficult enough that she couldn't make it back home. Not until she was here, trying to get back to life she was finally able to break away from, did she realize how desperately hoped something would prevent her from reaching that train. What was the rush anyways?

It wasn't like anyone was waiting for Soraya to return besides her overbearing manager.

Soraya decided to take a break on a small bench and collect her thoughts. "Do I even love what I do anymore?" she whispered to herself and stared longingly at her reddened fingertips due to the cold. She attempted to breathe some heat into her hands, allowing her eyes to wander onto someone else.

A woman. From what she could tell from she was sitting, a beautiful one. Soraya assumed that she expecting to catch the train about to arrive. The loud roar of the horn and rumbling wheels of the tracks made head turn towards the tunnel. However, the woman appeared to be standing on the yellow line, signalling that she was far too close to the tracks.

"Excuse me," she called out but the woman seemed to ignore her. At first, Soraya assumed her call was too vague. So, instead she addressed her by the clothing she wore. "Excuse me, girl with the green scarf!" Again, ignored.

The train was getting dangerously close as the rumbling of tracks got much louder. Soraya jumped up from the small bench and reached out towards the considerably rude brunette. "Hey-" she began to say before tripping forward on a risen slab of concrete. When Soraya bumped into her, she was very startled and her eyes were wide in terror from the sudden weight on her shoulder. Thankfully, Soraya was able to stable the both of them before either could stumble to the floor. She was also able to make sure that they moved away from the edge of the platform.

"I'm sorry but, I was trying to tell you that you're way too close to the line," Soraya tried to explain in order to calm her terrored expression. The woman only strained her eyes while watching and gestured towards her ear.

"I know it's loud but, I was saying that you were too close to the line. I've been calling out to this whole time," she responded by raising her voice to make it clearer. Soraya attempted to hide the frustration in her voice and take deep breaths to maintain patience when speaking with a stranger. The last thing she needed was more problems tonight.

The woman shook her head, the coiled curls of her hair swaying and bouncing along with her movement. She pointed to her ear again and pulled down my shoulder to meet her height with Soraya. Their faces were barely an inch a part as she leaned towards her and Soraya's cheeks flared a bright red from embarrassment. The woman's skin was a deep mahogany shade that beautifully reflected the lights in turn giving her own glow. Soraya's eyes closed instinctively and her lips slightly parted, expecting another pair of gentle lips to touch her own.

Her heart raced so fast that she feared it would burst from her chest at any moment. Soraya had rarely experienced any significantly romantic moments and getting kissed by a stranger in a subway station wasn't quite something she thought would happen. Soraya was almost at a near faint just imagining it.

Just then, the subway flew past them just as the woman bypassed Soraya's lips. Instead she targeted her ear and said, "I'm deaf."

The loud roaring of the train gave Soraya hope that her utter embarrassment could be buried or swept away by the noise. "Oh," was the only response that she could muster.

'Thank you,' she signed with her hand coming down from her chin. The woman offered a sincere smile of gratitude and Soraya became flustered eventually leading her to rub the nape of her neck nervously. At least her basic knowledge of ASL could save her from further digs at her already wounded pride.

'You're welcome,' Soraya signed back and the brunette lit up upon seeing her complete the action.

Once it made a complete stop, the doors to the train were opened and the woman seemed disappointed that she had to end the conversation so soon. Soraya waved her hand in dismissal with a warm smile to let her know that it was by no means an issue if she needed to be somewhere. Although she had to admit she didn't want the woman to go just yet either.

'My name is Kana and you?' she tried to sign quickly before the doors were able to close on her. Kana's fingers hurried to finish making each letter of her name and ultimately felt relieved upon realizing that it was relatively short.

"Um," Soraya mumbled to herself in thought since it wasn't possible for her to sign her entire name in time and she was a bit rusty on every letter in ASL. 'Ray,' she stumbled to finish as her fingers got a bit twisted. It took her complete concentration to do just those three letters alone.

"I hope to see you again, Ray!" Kana shouted quite loudly though she didn't exactly notice or actually mind. The doors started to close in front of her and Soraya noticed the falter in her smile.

'Next Year,' she typed into her phone and showed it to Kana just before they completely shut.

I hope I'll see her.