A Thirty-Something Life: Metro

In the springtime of 2010, I was working for a little company out west and had to take the metro everyday to and from Namur metrol. By the time I would find myself a seat in a car, I would sink down and listen to my MP3 player with my eyes closed.

As it was one of those warm days in May, I took off my jacket, revealing a short-sleeved top. Luckily, I had found a single seat and was leaning against the window, my left elbow on the ledge and my head in my hand. My right arm was placed on my purse and I drifted in and out of sleep, lulled by the music and the movement of the metro car.

We were a few stops away from Berri-Uqam and the car had become full to bursting. People latched onto the metal bars all around me, but I kept my eyes closed and focused on the music.

A man stood above me, swishing back and forth with the rhythm of the metro. I could feel his presence hovering over me. I ignored him. And then...he sneezed. As soon as I heard that sneeze (yes I heard it above the music blasting through the earphones), I heard the tell-tale sign of impending moisture. A split-second later, a sizeable glob of his mucus found its way to my right elbow.

Utterly disgusted, but not at all surprised, I opened my eyes and looked into the man's. He gave me the 'oh-crap-did-I-do-that?' look and shrugged. I reached into my purse and found a partially used sheet of tissue paper. And I wiped myself off. The man turned away and then got off the metro at Berri-Uqam, never looking back. I held the tissue paper with the tips of my fingers until I, too, got off the metro a few stops later. I went straight to the garbage bin, tossed the hated evidence of my recent attack into the bin and hurried home where I rushed to the bathroom and diligently scrubbed my elbow and hands until I felt a little less dirty.

There is something to be said about always having tissue paper with you. But sometimes I wonder if the laws of attraction are at work here. Do I often find myself in these types of situations because I have the means to decrease the effects of such 'attacks'?

I'm thinking of banning tissues from my purse. But it'll have to wait until winter is over. The city of Montreal will thank me for not submitting it to my perpetual runny nose.