I know I said September, but my blog is back a little earlier due to popular demand. In other words, I had a horrible day and must tell about it since Ive lived through it.
The R3 Regional Rail line is perhaps the worst line to travel in terms of delays and breakdowns. Of course that's the line I take to work every morning. It's been having problems for the past few days, mainly electrical problems causing delays. The only thing is when one train is delayed, it backs up all the others following it. Also, more and more people gather onto the platform and all trains run beyond capacity.
Yesterday morning the trains were running 25 minutes late. Now, where the hell in my busy morning do Septa idiots figure Im going to be able to find 25 EXTRA minutes just lying around, not in use? Its a complete conspiracy this whole running trains late deal... complete conspiracy, but I'll save that for a rainy day. Today is looking way too pretty -- from my window, anyway.
I finally get to work, not super late (because Im on to stupid train issues and so Im always early any given day), but just a few minutes late. I get to work and realize I'm not just late to work, but I may have missed the biggest deadline of all. In between cases Im battling going back and forth on googletalk with a friend who's heavily medicated --- read: narcotics. It suddenly dawns on me that Im arguing with the revolving door of ignorance mixed with a little bit of raw emotion and I see my way out, visibly upset and shook up -- a feeling that lasts all night.
As the end of the day approaches, I tell Lauren I just want to go home, relax, and clear my head AND that I hope the train doesnt have any more issues getting me home. Trains I tell you, are definitely female and perpetually in a state of PMS. Its a wicked disease and I thought I had it bad.
I am three stops away from my stop and the train breaksdown, not totally unlike me. I didnt get to charge my phone the night before, so that, too, has brokendown, so to speak. We're on the outbound lane, stopped yet, subsequent trains are passing us going in our direction, on the inbound lane. Hmmmm. Maybe we should get out and switch trains? Is that possible? Are we allowed to get out? Thank God we had brokendown at an actual stop at a place where its relatively easy to cross over tracks. No one said anything. Not one single retarded Septa official came by to say anything. Two trains go by and Im thinking, Mother of pearl! Im the only one with synapsing neurons.
The third train goes by, remember express trains carry lots of people and come very frequently, and I see everyone jump up and head out. Approximately 700-800 spill out of the train cars. Suddenly theres an announcement that we need to leave the train. Its brokendown, its not going anywhere. Another train is on its way shortly. Shortly. Now, shortly in Septa speak means 1 hour. All peak trains have left, so the next train will be there in an hour.... "shortly".
Now, I dont have a cellphone that works, ergo I know no ones number to call. I do the most logical thing I can think of that anyone would do in my situation: I go out in search of a working battery to borrow. :P
Mistakenly, I SWEAR TO GOD mistakenly, I come up on an old man, 70s, white beard, and I ask if I can borrow his battery --- Im only fairly lucid this morning and I kid you not I realize how awkward it must have sounded. He offers me his phone.
Me: No, no, no you dont understand. I dont know anyones number by heart. ('cuz my name is Farah and my favorite color is clear...)
Old Guy: Oh jeez. Can you call 411?
Me: For cellphone numbers?
OG: Oh, no, not for cellphone numbers.
Me: (mission continues) Ok, thanks, but its ok. Buhbye.
OG: (I guess he didnt hear my goodbye?) What is this Im seeing in your face?
HATE?, ANGER?, DEFEAT?, DESEPERATION?, PLANS TO SHOOT THE NEXT SEPTA GUY I SEE ON THE LEFT PINKY TOE OF HIS LEFT FOOT? Oh God! He's reading my emotions written all over my face!?!?!?!!! Auuuuuugh!??!
OG: What background are you?
Oh he means besides crazy?
Me: My parents are from Pakistan --- I say this as Im walking away
OG: OH! I figured it was something exotic. (Oh, he thinks I said Hawaii?) Pakistani food is amazing and the women are beautiful like you.
I am so NOT amused, its rather amusing.
Me: Thank you. -- again as Im walking away.
OG: Ive been there. Ive seen the Himalayas... the HinduKush mountains...
Me: Wow, Ive never been there -- I lie. I swear I'll pay whatever price -- hoping that would end the conversation.
OG: You can have my phone if you think of anything else.
Me: Thank you.
I walk to the back of the station house and see a payphone. OG creeps up behind me, YES, follows me. I scream and he says, "Im sure you've thought of everything. But if you think of anything, let me know. You can use my phone. Id love to be the one to rescue an exotic beauty in distress."
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii Alllahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! GO AWAY!!
I find a guy behind the station house and ask him for his battery -- yes, I know it sounds weird believe me. Its like asking someone if you can borrow their toothbrush. He happens to have the exact same phone as me which works perfectly! I pop in his battery and immediately call Aisha.
She says she'll come pick me up from Noble Station, only shes not sure with the area and directions. I remind her I dont have my phone and she cant call me but Im confident that she will come if she said she will. I get off the phone, and give the man his battery back. Just then, another train pulls up. Great. I dont get on it, obviously, because Aisha is on her way.
An hour, and two trains pass and its getting dark -- I finally make the call Ive been dreading and realize I should have written down Aisha's number when I called before. I call my sister.
Me: HannaIneedSeemeen'snumbernow!
Hanna: I dont have Seemeen's number anymore.
(Are you sure??? Lie to me, just give me someone else's number. I am sooo damn tired at this point I couldnt care less who I am talking to -- I started out waving down cars of Aisha's make and model to just randomly waving down EVERYONE... its its on the news by the way.. that wasnt me!)
Me: Ask Shahab bhai for one of her brothers' numbers.
An hour, and two trains pass and its getting dark -- I finally make the call Ive been dreading and realize I should have written down Aisha's number when I called before. I call my sister.
Me: HannaIneedSeemeen'snumbernow!
Hanna: I dont have Seemeen's number anymore.
(Are you sure??? Lie to me, just give me someone else's number. I am sooo damn tired at this point I couldnt care less who I am talking to -- I started out waving down cars of Aisha's make and model to just randomly waving down EVERYONE... its its on the news by the way.. that wasnt me!)
Me: Ask Shahab bhai for one of her brothers' numbers.
I get her brother's number and realize afterwards just how silly the call must have sounded.
Me: SalaamThisisFarah.IneedyoutogivemeAishaJsNumber.ThanksBye.
I didntt even have a pen, I wrote her number down on an ATM receipt with my favorite eyeliner! Women and our ways -- :D The picture above is a snap of that receipt.
I could have sworn I saw AJ drive by and I tried to chase her down, but she says she never went that way before. I dont know how she found me, but Alhamdullilah, she finally reached me and I told her I didnt think Id ever been so excited to see anyone ever before.
Aisha: OMG, you've been here alone??? Get in! Get in! Its creepy here. (Really? -- I didnt notice :D)
Aisha: I was reading so many qulmas for you to make sure you were ok.
(Awww... i heart Aisha!)
(Awww... i heart Aisha!)
I tell her my ordeal, start to finish, including how I called her -- the borrowed battery and the crazy phone call to a friend's brother.
Aisha: OMG, that sounds like something that would happen to me.
Allah na kare, God I hope not.
But the night did get better -- Aisha took me out to dinner and then she spent the night at my place. And we got to talk to our favorite person, Seemeen. I didnt get home til 10p. I didnt get to sleep until 1a. And now Im staying home sick to recover from my heat exhaustion and fatigue.
All turned well that rarely ever begins well, Alhamdullilah. For those of you who kept messaging me, I apologize -- it really was quite an ordeal. Knowing me, you should know by now, drama is my middle name and nothing is ever done on purpose. I will get back to everyone's texts and voicemails a little later. Right now, Im trying to blackmail someone into coming over and making me chai. :D
