Siti Naquia Abdul Rahim

Just like a typical introvert, I walk around within my own personal bubble. When people get too close for comfort, I have to resist the urge to push them out. Once in a blue moon, though, someone—a stranger—would come along and burst through the bubble… And to my utter horror, I would actually enjoy it.

One sunny Sunday, after two consecutive weekends of staying in, I decided to take myself on a day out. As usual, I had my sunglasses and headphones on as if I was creating a physical barrier between the surroundings and myself. While I was waiting for the train, my eyes caught sight of an acquaintance. I immediately hoped he would not see me or approach me. It had nothing to do with him, he is a nice guy—but at that moment, all I really wanted was to enjoy my music during the one-and-a-half-hour train ride instead of talking to someone, to anyone. So I did my best to hide among the people between us, and I succeeded. When the train came, I made sure he got on the train first before I got onto a different carriage.

I got a seat by the window on a two-person seat, with the seats opposite me empty.

I am in New South Wales, Australia, where the trains have seats that you could ‘flip’ to change the direction the seats are facing, whether it’s forward or backward. It also means that if you do not want to sit facing another stranger, you could flip the seat and end up having the row to yourself.

At the next stop, a cute blonde girl boarded the train. She paused by my seat, quickly scanned the rest of the train, then smiled at me and sat right opposite of me, taking me by a huge surprise. Most people would have flipped the seat to sit with their backs toward a stranger instead of having to face the stranger. But not this girl. Not only that, she also could have sat by the aisle, but again, she amazed me by scooting towards the window seat. Now, we were directly opposite each other. Our legs bumped, and we had to cross our legs strategically to make space for one another.

In most instances, I would have been outraged by the proximity, especially when there were other empty seats. Not today though. Not her. There was something about this girl that made her presence non-intrusive. It did not feel like my space was being invaded at all. It felt nice. It felt comfortable.

My self-deprecating mind then wondered why she had chosen to sit with me. I wondered if she would regret her decision and move to another seat the next chance she got. But no, she only made herself more comfortable, resting her jacket on her lap. Next, she took out a textbook from her bag and began reading and highlighting it.

At one point during the ride, I removed my sunglasses. Somehow, I did not want to hide behind them anymore. Even though at times the sun’s glare bothered me, I kept my sunglasses off. So there I was, sitting on a train, listening to my favorite playlist with the girl opposite me, who was listening to her own music through her earphones while reading and highlighting her textbook.

It was as if we were both in our own worlds, yet the borders of our worlds intertwined a little. It was beautiful. We sat like that throughout my whole ride, our legs touching comfortably. When the train reached my stop, I looked at her, feeling dread. We both nodded—me signaling her that I was leaving, and her moving her legs to make space for me to walk out.

That is my story about a girl on a train who crashed into my bubble and somehow magically made it more graceful with her presence. How could a stranger have such a profound effect on an introvert without saying a single word?

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