Vignette - A Cinderella Moment

A Cinderella Moment

It was Thursday evening, I had worked late. I was tired and hungry, so I stopped at a local pub for dinner before I caught the subway home.

I got onto the subway car and did not realize for about three stops, I was headed in the wrong direction. As I got off at the next stop, I remembered fondly another evening where I had gotten on the wrong train.

A winter evening, years ago, I had come home very tired, so I went straight to bed. When I awoke, the clock read 6:00. I thought I had slept through the night and was late for work. I dressed quickly and ran to the bus stop. The sky was semi-light like sunrise.

When I exited the subway at my final stop, I looked at the sky again, something was wrong, it was too dark. I realized my mistake, it was evening not morning. I turned back to the subway to catch the next train in hopes of making the last bus connection home. That’s when I caught the wrong train.

A few stops later, I got off and sat on the stone bench to wait for the right train. If I was lucky, I could still catch the last bus and make it home before midnight.

A young man approached me and said “Hi.” When I looked up into his face, I saw the vision of a young version of my ex-husband. His face was open, friendly, and innocent. His dark curly hair fell across his forehead. His warm brown eyes were light and curious. I said, “Hi”, and lowered my eyes.

I stared at his shoes. They were two-tone canvas affairs. They spoke of honesty and warmth. His feet danced.

The train pulled into the station and the doors opened. I rushed to board the car. I wanted to stay and talk but I had to catch the last bus home.

A few days later, an art gallery announcement card crossed my desk. It pictured a modern Cinderella running to catch the last subway train before midnight.

I contacted the artist and bought a few cards. Later, I wrote to the subway’s general manager, using one of the cards, to make some suggestions regarding the service and I mentioned the significance of the card.

Now, a few years later, as I stood on the platform thinking about that evening long ago, the subway speaker system clicked on. An announcement opened with the sound of a grandfather clock and the announcer advised all Cinderellas that they didn’t have to rush to catch the last train at midnight because the evening hours had been extended.


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