The street comes alive slowly. A bus arrives at the stop, a dozen people down, half a dozen to go up. The driver closes the door and is interrupted by a cry: "Please? You can open up?"
A latecomer? Or maybe it is not yet fully awake? The driver, good mood, opens the door, the man leaves and goes to the building. He probably still some way to go ...
A young couple lingers on the sidewalk, despite the cold. Last kiss before parting lovers: he will go left towards the town, she goes right: the road is not finished yet ...
Some are indeed arrived, others leave only a few Just passing through, in transit between home and abroad.
It is still early. The sun is not up yet. In the corridors, on the docks, people meet; the more aroused smile to the faces they recognize, or know to force the cross at the same times, the same places every day of the week. Friendships were formed, discussions, interrupted the previous night, same place, repeat. The new exchange is a kind of small community that is found in the stairways, corridors.
gloves, hats and scarves are out: winter is here, arrived this year with two weeks in advance. It is eerily quiet streets. Usually there is more noise, impatience, horns, screeching tires, jittery, same. But today, everything seems strangely quiet. The cars run slower than usual, pedestrians and cyclists do not seem as eager as the other morning, they seem more cautious also quieter, as if something had changed ... the weather of the day there Is it for something?
gloves, hats and scarves are out: winter is here, arrived this year with two weeks in advance. It is eerily quiet streets. Usually there is more noise, impatience, horns, screeching tires, jittery, same. But today, everything seems strangely quiet. The cars run slower than usual, pedestrians and cyclists do not seem as eager as the other morning, they seem more cautious also quieter, as if something had changed ... the weather of the day there Is it for something?
Despite the apparent calm, the dock, almost desert earlier, was completed in minutes. Silently, travelers argue ready. The discussions are hushed, as if not to disturb those who still need time to emerge from sleep interrupted too early, as always in winter.
"The train number 96209 200 TER, Sarrebourg from and to Basel, departure 7:41, goes into the station, channel D. Please take care to walk-up frozen.
In one motion, attendees seem to come alive, some out of their torpor, as awake for good, others halt their discussions and for a moment seemed relieved: today, the train is running normally They may arrive on time for work.
The train stopped, passengers crowded around the doors of the cars. Strangely, the atmosphere seems more fresh, as if the heat of the train early in the morning made the cold even more pervasive.
A new day begins. It's winter, it snowed yesterday and today, Wednesday, children will not go to school: they will probably have time to make snowballs and snowmen. Snow is still expected in the coming days, ideal weather before the Christmas holidays. Ideally, except for those who, like every morning, waiting for the arrival of the train to work ... or go on vacation.
Amelie Platz, December 15, 2010.
