ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY 6.35 PM
A view of a myriad of Nationalities entering the train, that has arrived to the Elizabeth Station. To make things worst is a cold night in early January. The winter is in full swing. Most passengers
are middle class people. Instictively they look for empty seats. Some find newspapers left there; others blow their nose due to the crude cold weather. New faces are shown as they take off their hats, scarfs, caps, etc. We focus on a woman. Her brown eyes and long hair make her "look" oustanding. She is on a cell phone conversation. "Mom, I told you, Steve was not for me," She said. "No, I'm not going back, I'm sorry we didn't last in our relatioship for so many years as... you and my dad. I never told you, but he cheated on me with my girlfriend at work... and remember my sister in law Grace?... yes, from Erie. It seems that they had an ongoing affair. Where is the proof?. Well mom I'm not that stupid. His out of state "private business" were always his excuse to take those long trips and listen to this: I was lucky to get those credicard statements in the mail while he was away. Yes! Can you believe that?. That tells anyone in his right mind that those Hotels with double bed suites meant more that regular business. A hotel in Vermont and another one in Hartford... all five star suites, Not just a Ramada which would be logical and aceptable. He is so stupid... make me so mad, just to think. Besides all the text messages I used to retrieve from his cell phone. No mom, I'm sorry, He better think in picking up his stuff when I come back. My son Jeff deserves better. He is 13, an almost a teen into adulthood already, and I will have to explain to him, what dad was all about. Fifteen years down the drain."
The ticket collector is passing by and thru his eyes we see so many faces.
A miracle happens. The minds of all the passengers are heard as a mumbling echo of words said in a slow motion state of "mind". At times annoying as they try to settle in our own perception. A mexican worker takes out a sandwich from his bag and he searches for something else. "God damn it, forgot my chicken soup on my table. I Hope Edgardo, my roomate, puts it back in the refrigerator". Another person a black american guy is seen with a lotto ticket, scratching thru an instant game, then he goes to the sport section of the Star Ledger. "No, nigga, I lost money betting on you Johnson, damn ass!, the play offs are so... no way, I lost a six pack!!. A white lady with a nice heavy coat is searching thru her Ipod. "Geez, my daughter downloaded the wrong song, can't stand this high school musical tune. I'm not a twelve year old girly fan". An old lady is on the next seat by herself, she is silent. Her looks is sad, her eyes tired. Not a single thought, just a lost sight. "Tickets, please," says the ticket collector kind of awakening her senses to reality. She looks for it in her purse and he takes it. It's voided and the Assistant marks her seat with a slip. Suddenly... her mind shows her thoughts. "My only son, my life, my reason to live, why he had to leave his wife and this morning... He still don't wanna help me to pay the rent. I should've kick him outta my apartment long time ago, but, after all is my son." A young guy sits next to her. "You mind if I seat next to you, granny?," asks the clean buzz cut guy. "If you stop calling me granny, young man. You will be a grumpy old man, no matter what". He stares at her and smiles. "Stupid bitch, is all your fault Beth,". He is having his own issues. "So you going to college?" minds the old lady to ask. "No ma'am, heading to Norfolk, through a Newark flight". She coughs and holds her breath. "Are you okay ma'am?" Asks the guy concerned. "Just an asthma attack, son" replies after another catch of air. "You too Allison, you took my girlfriend and made her just like you bitch!". His thought is expressed in his last word which is said loud: "Bitch!"
"Are you nutts, young man?," replies the old lady. "sorry ma'am.Was thinking my own freaking mind". "Next stop, Newark Liberty. Watch your step when leaving, don't forget all your belongins and your own trash". The young boy stands up quickly. "Bye lady," he says. "going home?"
"No ma'am, going to Iraq, hold up... was kidding, yes I'm going home. 'Home, sweet home'"
"You can call me gramma anytime young man." He is leaving with a heavy green Luggage. Grateful death's sticker on it. "Sure lady. Next time I see you again, take care and sorry for calling you granny, actually thought of my grandmother, she was my granny". She manages to give him a piece of candy. "Don't worry, is the true, I'm old, decrepit, and on my last years. Good luck son" He opens the candy and puts it in his mouth. "Thanks ma'am. So sweet of you, cherry, hmm!, my favorite, bye now!"... "If she knew I'm really heading to my Base for deployment to the middle east!, but thought of that quick fix," He thinks.
NEWARK LIBERTY EXCHANGE!, WATCH YOUR STEP!,CONNECTIONS FOR FLIGHTS AT THIS EXIT.
More people are getting in. This time, they look foreign or from abroad. Inside, a French woman is reading a book. "Manhattan, oui, the Hotel Shuttle might help me as Jean Pierre told me. He was right; I already feel the sweet emotions of being away from home in this sweet land of freedom," thinks herself. A British guy sits next to her, puts his belongins on the top luggage compartment. His heavy accent tells us about him. "New York, my dream city since my early years as an exchange student, up there in BOSTON. More than an academic rendezvous. I wonder if LEJLA, my friend from Prague, stayed here and made in the Modeling industry. She was an item back then," His mind tells us. In front of them is a Pakistani lady with her two daughters. An Islamic scarf denotes her background. In their own language the mother tells them to behave. "Salim, we coming to see you son. Hopefully NY University is close to this town, NEW ARK?. "The next stop is... Secaucus," is heard through speakers. Is a woman's recorded voice.
A young gothic girl is listening to Metallika on her MP4, then switches to Bon jovi's: "Bad medicine". Her Piercing on her lips and her tongue tells it all. The set of earrings on both ears top it all. "Yeah! bitch!... next piercing down there... to hell with you Darlene, I won't lose any feeling as you warned me. Chris, my Boyfriend, will be glad when I show it to him... My mom can kiss my white ass too, tired of her controlling mind. I never asked them to come to this stupid ass world," She thinks loud as she frowns her face into the window. In front of her is a latino young guy. "Painting is helping me a lot, thank God I learned the trade, my cousin is a roofer and he has it really bad up there in the cold. Tomorrow will ask my boss to give him a chance in painting. His family really needs him. My boss don't need to put him on payroll. He doesn't even ask for a green card anyway, as they do it in the temp agency". A quick secuence of the whole passengers as the ticket collector goes all the way back... then he stops in a weird shadowy guy with a nasty look, who was sleeping, "tickets please...". The guy awakes and takes his ticket from his pocket almost by heart. "here, sorry," replies the guy. "New York, in 15 min Sir, thanks". The Collector voids the passenger's ticket and walks away, but comes back asking him..."Excuse me Sir, don't mind me if I ask you, by any chance Were you at the Giants stadium here at East Rutherford last summer?". The passenger gets frustated and annoyed. "No Sir, never been in this area, and is the first time I come to New York, the big APPLE"
"Sorry pal, as I told you, don't mind me. Have a nice trip," says the collector as he walks away from further trouble.
As he passes by, a nice looking full figured woman is seated by herself, looking worried. "My mother should know the true. Working late and buying those expensive negligees for Foxy's won't help me get ahead in life. Is a shame, since dad died of cancer when I was seven, all came apart. Now, this Bouncer advances are not helping me either. Hate going to work, mom always told me: Is a men's world". She hurriedly puts more make up on her face and checks her Blackberry's inbox e-mail. On the text message we read: "Come home early, we need to talk, kisses, hugs, mom". two seats in front of her is a white collar man in her late FORTIES. He is checking a bloomberg text update on the market, on his PAD cell. "No man, 355 points down. I don't have more choices. How I'm gonna pay my mortgage next month. My car payments, my credit card debts from this last christmas... this is a recessional situation, and so many don't see it coming yet". A first class Amtrak ACELA train passes by; we notice the tables and the executive treatment, wine and french spring water are seen, most of them with their laptops open, some cheering in the distance...suddenly it takes off speeding up its pace. The white collar guy looks with disdain. "Was there, was in the upper class, now I'm almost ruined, forgot to tell my wife.... I might not make it home tomorrow. How can I face my kids. After putting them in Princeton and Yale with my own efforts... but this is my life or was it?". In another secuence at the Secaucus junction, we see a train assistant walking from the dark of the platform in a never ending walk, he holds a dimmed lantern. His figure is intriguing. We cannot see his face even if we try. Voices are echoed announcing the scheduled departures and arrivals. "Arriving on track E, the TRAIN for DOVER in the next 3 minutes, PLEASE buy your tickets... track E....". Our train is arriving. Inside the train the recorded voice announces: "This stop is... Secaucus!. A shadow comes down from the upper roof. Almost unperceptible. Then the train stops slowly. More people gets in. Two police officers get in too... and commuters get off with a rush hour feeling in their faces. "Think, we got our men, 322 alpha-charlie, over," says one of the police Officers. Outside, the train assistants get asked if that is the right train bound to New York. "Sure, get in" says one. "Not Passaic ma'am, New York city is next...go up the concourse and ask Information," says another Train assistant. All the assistants waive each other to signal the departure..suddenly a young hippie look Musician with a guitar case run down the scalators. "Wait!!, I'm coming, hold it!". In a split of a second he makes it thru the assistant who was holding the door for him. "You fine pal," says the assistant. Inside, the Musician tries to put his leather case on the top shelf. "The auditioning was great, hopefully I will make it for my demo at the studio. My classes can wait. Need to buy a car. This is bull; depending on a fixed schedule". He sees in the far distance The lights of the big City. The Empire State and the Chrysler buildings are appearing. "Shit, forgot my sheets, Goddamm! it!. No!. Son of a bitch!. Will have to ask the Sound Engineer to fax me some of it for the time being, that's it!". A passanger passes by running like nutts. Is a man in his late thirties who is looking for a restroom. "Anyone knows where it is? I know they have one... shit!!! Why you people look at me like I'm crazy," Says the guy in big time trouble, as some "smelling odour" invades the train alley. Luckily comes the Ticket collector. "Listen Sir, the Lavatory is two cars down, so in order to avoid any undesirable outcome, keep going down, unless you have a deodorant for the rest of us, eww, you stink man!". "Sorry pal, I got the message and it wasn't intentional. I deserve some compassion... have to go!!". The guy keeps running even bumping some others on their shoulders and having hard time to open the doors in between. Most get a kick out of it, even though they cover their noses... The two police Officers appear from the opposite end and keep passing by. "Hi, fellows, everything alright?" asks the train assistant. " Just fine, routine check up," responds one of the officers, as they keep moving into another train car.
A sudden slow down; and then a complety stop. The lights go on and off. The passengers don't know what's going on. Another train is seen on the opposite track. The Conductor's voice is heard through speakers. "Attention passengers, we've been communicated that a simmilar train just derrailed 3 miles ahead, for your safety and according to our normal procedures, You will need to get on the train next to us. Please be careful as you cross the tracks. We apologize for the inconvenience". The officers appear on scene to help. They have a "list". Surprisingly, the passengers abide and obey the instructions from the Conductor and move into the other train with no further problems. As they leave... they notice that shadowy person in uniform walking into the dark again, but this time hi has a lantern. The replacement train leaves and from our point of view, we notice the train serial number: "4466". After 7 minutes of traveling, the train aproaches the scene of the accident. Lots of metal debris and smoke. Fire department Engine trucks from local boroughs are there, the copter-news crew is lying around also...Slowly, they pass the scene, but one person, notices a number on the side of the derrailed train: The old lady. The number appears..4-4-6-6 on the reflection of her window...her eyes get so tired. The train gets going to its final destination. Something weird happens; the misterious Conductor gets in, but stay in the vestibule. The calm before the storm ride starts. After 2 more minutes of traveling. This guy opens the door from the vestibule and starts saying first names. "George, Peter, Josh..". Some people stand up and pass him by to a redish reflection and dissapear through a continuous incandescent door. For some moments the lights of the train start getting surrounded by dimm shadows and FAR AWAY explosions are heard as they flick on and off until the misterious person closes the door toward the next car. A calm and the most beautiful light takes over. A man starts clasping his fingers and others start smiling. Feelings of rapture and ecstasy take over. Through the windows the lights of New York skyline change into fireworks....then a calm. A station appears thru their windows. There is no announcer, just a slowing arrival. Little by little we see people outside waiting. Who are they? What is really going on?...
