10.19
Been in the country for only a couple of days, traveling with my sister. Tonight is the first night out in the current city. We want to get a feel for the nightlife. Getting off the train taken from the hotel, we step onto a street of dark red bricks. Towering ahead is the entrance to a large building, retail stores on the first floor, restaurants above that and apartments on to the top. There are people gathered about but it does not seem to be the line to get in. We walk inside, though a small lobby with maroon carpets and victorian couches evenly spaced from each other. There are no doors or stairs leading to the rest of the building. The elevators ahead are the only way up. We step in and I look over to choose a floor. No buttons can be seen anywhere. There is nothing to indicate how this elevator functions. Without any notification, the doors close and we start our ascent. It stops shortly after, doors opening on an unknown level of the building. We exit into a narrow hallway, looking across its shiny marble floor to the opposite end. The elevator doors close behind us once more and it leaves on another journey. Looking back across the hall, I see a set of large double doors. They are cream colored and of unknown material, trimmed with a dark stained wood. There is a faint warm glow about the lighter parts. It seems the only option we currently have is on the other side.
Closer to the end of the hallway I can hear the faint sound of music. We walk through the doors, out onto steps leading to a terrace. It is nighttime now, stars scattered about the sky. While I can not see the moon, the light it reflects is illuminating things well enough. There is a diffused quality to it as if there were a thin white sheet covering the sky. Looking across the terrace I find its expanse incredible. It is the biggest, elevated outdoor space I have ever seen. Glancing down from where we stand, I notice the floor consists of large concrete slabs about six feet square. I suppose these would continue as flooring to the opposite end of the terrace but I am unable to tell. There currently a sea of people covering it. The space is so densely filled with people that its even hard to make them out individually. As they are similarly dressed, this created the resemblance of a flock of grounded birds, or some other species of herd animal. Doesn’t seem to be any females in the herd either. This makes me cautious of my sister for obvious reasons.
There is a band playing, past the crowd, at the edge of the terrace. The band being the source of the music heard eariler. Its oddly quiet out now, silent except for the sound of the wind at this height. No noise, though band is still playing, the crowd still shuffling about. We step out further onto the terrace to join the audience. As we do this, the people start drawing in around us. It is strange that while this is happening, none of them turn to look at us. They all shift into places, as if part of one larger organism, eyes always front towards the band. I look around and notice there is a few feet of space separating us as if shielded by an invisible force. It takes only minutes until we are completely encircled. Then, as the last open gap closes, there is an immediate shift in human mass. People start to move erratically, breaking up from the larger group. During separation there is a noticeable change in behavior. Moving in different ways from each other, there is now an individuality to each. Independence gained upon disconnecting from the collective. The crowd continues to thin, people peeling away from the front where the band is. They are all moving in the direction of the doors. It is apparent now that they are fleeing the terrace. There is no look of fear on their faces, only moving as if driven by some instinct. I decide its best if my sister and I leave this place as well.
We wait a moment before returning inside. Most of the crowd has evacuated the terrace, leaving only a small number to deal with. Walking back inside I am surprised to see that the hallways are empty, only the remnants of the larger group scurrying around corners and through unmarked doors. Its like someone turned the lights on and all the roaches are running to hide. I realize now that there is an alarm, though it is not audible to me or my sister. This would explain the sudden and hurried withdraw of the others. I take her hand and start searching for an exit. I see figures standing in front of the elevators we arrived in. Just ahead are two, rather large, well dressed, barrel chested men. Imagine if someone took a couple of gorillas, shaved them, put them in tuxedos and made them stand upright. There is no movement from either of them as we advance. I attempt to call for the elevator but again no buttons, switches or levers can be found. It also seems they are not currently inservice. I look back to the suits and still nothing. They stand perfectly still, as if purely decoration. I don’t bother asking them about the elevators as I speculate I would get no response.
We backtrack and try another way out. There are other doors but so far they have all been locked. Finally we come upon a door in the distance with a green exit sign overhead. Accompanying the door at the end of the hallway are two more of the gorilla men. These being no different from the first pair, motionless as we approach. I open the door only to be greeted by more men in suits about twenty feet in. These look more like special agents, earpieces and sunglasses, rather than the primates flanking the doors. Aware of our presence now, the agents press towards us, arms forward, directing us to turn around and find another way. I have no idea what was on the other side of the agents but it must be either A. Dangerous, or B.Fragile. There is quite a few of them and we go back out into the hallway before they can get close enough to be forceful. The door closes behind us, the agents dont follow. We search a few more places until finally coming across another exit. Not much thought given this time to the missing links as we pass between them and through the door.
I think we have stepped into an M.C. Escher illustration. My sister and I are now standing in what looks to be the most poorly planned stairway ever created. There is a maze of steps leading nowhere, metal scaffolds, ramps and railings going in every direction. On second thought, Escher was much more logical than this. Closer inspection reveals there is a somewhat noticeable path, though it is hidden within the chaos of the engineering nightmare. After quite some time, acrobatics and a great deal of profanity, we finally reach the ground floor. Through the exit door into the main building from the stairwell, we entered into a dark retail space. Sheets over the tables and racks of merchandise. The lights are off. Through large panes of glass on the storefront, Blue street lamps provide the only source of light. Needless to say, this creates an ominous atmosphere, feeling less welcome by the minute. I reach back for my sister and we find our way outside onto the streets.
There is still ample light from the moon and the street lamps as we head back to the trains. I look back to the building, relived to be in the open air once again. There are others along the platform, some sitting, some standing. They are all occupied in their own conversations or personal entertainments. Further down, riding along the edge, there are a couple of kids on skateboards. After a prolonged wait the train finally arrives. As it pulls to a stop in front of us we realize we are on the wrong side of the platform. This is the train we arrived on. I watch the people get on, off, wondering if they are going to the building we just left. The train continues on down the line and I can see the other side of the tracks again. There is no apparent way to get across from where we are, however there is a crosswalk at the far end of the platform.
We casually stroll down the sidewalk, further away from the station ledge, passing the random individuals, couples and smaller groups. About halfway from where we started, we come upon the skateboarders. No longer riding the edge of the platform, they have dropped down onto the tracks. Wondering how they are able to ride there, I step closer and it becomes visible that the entire railway is a half pipe of sorts. Its as if the top half of a giant concrete tube was cut off, tracks recessed into the smooth surface. This is obviously perfect for the boarders. I watch them as we walk by, riding back and forth across the tracks, performing tricks. One in particular is launching from the sides much higher than the rest. The next time he is airborne I catch a glimpse of his skateboard. It resembles a giant boomerang with wheels, aerodynamics allowing for the increased lift. The rider is also holding a handle attached to a long black rope, much like that used by a waterskier pulled by a boat. The rope functions in the same way, as the other end is tied to a motorcycle, hidden from view previously. Looks like a lot of fun, ill have to try it sometime. The skaters ride off, continuing in the other direction as my sister and I finally reach the crosswalk. Now on the correct side, there is only a short wait until our train arrives.
As the door opens and we step through the threshold, I am left standing alone, my sister vanishing behind me. There are some people in the car, the group closest to me talking about their current trip. They are going to the airport and while it becomes apparent the train also terminates there, I know thats not my stop. I find an empty seat next to a window, across from another traveller. I look up to see that it is an old childhood friend of mine. After a quick hello I discover that he too is on his way to the airport. “Im going to pick up my daughter” he tells me. It seems curious to me as to why he would be getting his daughter while traveling in a foreign country. He doesn’t seem to make any big deal of it one way or another. “Where you headed?” he asks. “Im not quite sure at the moment.” I tell him. “I was hoping to stop by my hotel room to get my stuff, but I don’t think this train is stopping there. I guess ill just check out another country near by. Wander around for a bit.” My friend nods in acknowledgement, adjusting his posture slightly, turning to the window. “Id go with you” he says, “but I gotta get my lil’ girl.” I nod in acknowledgement.
I follow his gaze through the window and see that it is now early in the morning, sun having just risen moments before. The sky is heavy with clouds, softening the sunlight, air outside cold and damp. Crops of bush like, green plants can be seen on either side of the train as it speeds through the fields. At the current velocity I am unable to tell what exactly the plants are. There are a few buildings littered about the landscape, the size of large office buildings or apartments about twenty floors in height. Normally this would seem of place for farmland but they are few, far apart and unobtrusive to the surrounding environment. It is calming to watch the a subtle rhythm of the buildings and crops as they pass by the window in sequence. I take in the countryside for a while, thinking about my next destination, my friend and his daughter.
I decide to keep him company until he has her in his care.
2009.10.19