Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

“Excuse Me!”

I was as usual busy reading my novel on another 2 hour long office journey of mine and was startled when I heard this. I turned around to see who had addressed me so and saw a man staring back. He was tall, fair, square faced, blonde and definitely non Japanese. He was traveling with his wife and son.

“Could you tell me if this train will stop at Kanazawa Hakkei?” He asked.

I had no clue and I told him so. The station we were approaching was Kanazawa Bunko and the station where he wanted to get off at was the one next to it. Since it was a Limited Express train, he was not sure if it will stop at that station and since I was the only ‘non-Japanese’ around, he had asked me. I looked at the chart which had some details mentioned about the stops of the train but it was a generalized chart and it did not give details or may be I should say, I could not understand the chart and I could not tell whether this train will stop there or not.

So, as we reached Kanazawa Bunko, I saw a Local train standing on the other side of platform destined for Shinzushi. I told him that since that train was a local, I am pretty sure it would stop at the next station. So, they could take that train.

He thanked me and got out of the train with his family.

Suddenly, I noticed on the chart that, that train will take another track to go to Shinzushi. My stomach flipped and I shouted, “EXCUSE ME!!!” He did not hear me. I shouted again. By then every one had started staring at me. For once, I thought I should get off the train but my bag was on a shelf, out of my reach. The doors of the train had closed by then . He had already boarded that train.

I kept banging on the door out of regret. I think guilt would be more appropriate. But he did not even look in my direction. If he could just look once, I could ask him to get off that train and take some other train. Now the guilt had started to kill me. The train left the platform and I started moving randomly in that empty space, cursing myself, wondering where I had sent that family. The man had just asked me a simple question and I had no clue what I could do then. Poor man just wanted a simple help and I gave him nothing but trouble. “Damn you Apy!” As if this was not enough, the train stopped at Kanzawa Hakkei.

“FK! FK! FK!”

I tried to relax. People were still trying not to stare but could not help. I didn’t bother. I had just made the biggest Fk up of the day. I tried to call a friend but the train entered the subway and I entered a weird state of mind.

“Damn!”

What else could I do? I was just trying to help.
Oh yeah! You were a great help. In future, you better not help. Where ever he was trying to reach, I don’t think he will make it on time. All thanks to you.
But...
Shut up...

I got up and went to see that chart again. To analyze how bad the damage was.

Wait a minute! The train changed track from Kanazawa Hakkei. That means it will go to Kanazawa Hakkei and then it will go in a different direction, that means I did not put him on the wrong train, that means, well!! That means he won’t be abusing me at this moment.

I rejoiced, relaxed, sat down and smiled to myself.

Phew! What a start to the day!