Usually a train journey consists of headphones in, book in hand and watching aimlessly out of a window as you head to your destination; however this Saturday mine was a little different.
As I boarded at Kings Cross and waited to depart a gentleman on the train made simple chat with me about how busy it seemed to be. I took from his Australian accent that this was his first time in London thus why he had questioned the amount of people, however, like they say, never judge a book by its cover. Thinking nothing of the conversation I resumed waiting when he turned to me asking if I could help him get in contact with who he was visiting. He had been delayed in Dubai and had now been travelling for 30 hours! (Mental I know).
I helped him of course and allowed him to use my phone to attempt making a phone call, when his attempts failed he asked if he could email. As he wrote the email I decided to question who he was visiting in an attempt to make the silence less awkward. Little did I know that this question would create such a poignant conversation in my day.
With a beaming smile on his face, which grew as the conversation carried on, he told me he was visiting his girlfriend. Being from Australia I asked if the distance was hard, just to continue conversation. He went on to tell me what I can only describe as the most moving love story I have ever heard that wasn’t a script from a movie. Even Ryan Gosling couldn’t act this one out, the note book hasn’t got anything on this.
I understand not every person who reads this will think wow this is the best story ever, but for me it seemed like fate on that day that I met this guy and got to hear it. It touched me and I had to hold back tears on the train as the story unfolded. (I am an emotional person I might add so holding them back is big thing for me!).
Anyway, he told me that this lady, Sue, was his first love when they were both 16. They had a first love romance and then went their separate ways as he toured the world in a rock band and she joined the Navy. So it seemed for the years that went on life went on and they lived their lives separately. This guy even admitted to being homeless at one point in his life but stated that his only possession at this time was a bracelet which Sue gave him when they were younger, (awww factor right?).
The story goes on. As he gained his life back he got a home etc and carried on making music, rock climbing and of course surfing (what Aussie doesn’t surf ?!). Until one day out of the blue he receives a phone call. “Hi, it’s someone from your past fancy meeting up for dinner and a catch up?”. Yup that’s right she was back from travelling the world, and like the small world that it is her father even lived round the corner from him. So they meet for dinner, he tells me, he said “I tried to act all cool but I couldn’t string a sentence together, I took one look at her and was simply speechless”, his smile grows and there is a glisten in his eyes, a kind of sparkle that no one can hide when madly in love. I smiled with him, he was so unbelievable smitten, I was jealous, what girl wouldn’t give for a man to talk about them the way he did about her, truly magical. (I told you I was soppy).
Back to the story, so they go for dinner but don’t even eat just sit for hours on end catching up on life and finding out that she was moving back to England (where she was born) in only a couple of days. He dropped her home and left feeling heartbroken that life had brought their paths together only for her to be leaving the space of a few days. As he thought this she rang him. “I don’t mean to sound to keen but did you feel what I felt?”. Of course he did, he tells me. So as I suppose anyone would, they spent her last few days in Aus together.
As she went to leave and they said emotional goodbyes he hands her the bracelet, the one he kept for all that time (so romantic). He said it was his most prized possession and that giving it to her would mean he would have to come to England to get it back. (Big awwww).
And as of April this year he went to visit her for the first time, and was, as of Saturday, going for his second visit because he couldn’t wait till the New Year. He is taking her away to Austria for a week on Boxing Day and spending his New Year with her too.
So yes it isn’t the most amazing ending to the story, he still lives in Australia and she is now here, but he said it takes a lot for him to even leave the country for a visit so she truly means a lot to him.
As he ended the story he thanked me and told me I was now part of bringing them together again. (All I did was allow him to send an email) I loved this though. He showed me a photo of Sue, and she was beautiful. The most amazing thing was throughout the whole story I sat there mesmerised by it, amazed by how much he smiled and how much of an impact it made on my day. Every person deserves a movie love story like this and it’s rare that it even happens, but knowing that it did for these two certainly makes it seem like more of a possibility.
So no there isn’t a magically happy ending but the simplicity of meeting one person on one train journey and the impact that had on my day will amaze me till the end of time. I never have truly believed in fate but I felt that I was meant to meet that man, to get on that train at that time, to sit in that seat and to have offered my help. I don’t believe in fairytales but secretly inside everyone of us we have the want to believe in it, in the magic that true love can bring and the happiness one person can bring to your life. I never even got the guys name but we wished each other a Merry Christmas as I departed and carried on with my day. I had to blog about this, to share this story because even if you’re not as soppy as me it still can show you how wonderful the human race is and what magic life can bring us.
Simple inspiring. I just hope one day I can have a magically story like this (or even half like this) that I can sit and tell my grandchildren because then it truly will seem like a fairytale and the magic of true love will continue to inspire.
Soppyness over. Hope this has some impact or is just a good read either way I am happy!
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