Almost Circle Line

Everybody was running to catch the last train of the Underground. There would be no choice for them but Night Bus if they missed it. So was I. I ran through the underpass of King's Cross Station in London, and finally rushed in the train. I had almost missed the train. But anyway, I got it.

"How many stations to the Earls Court?" The train headed toward right direction. However from the certain point, names of the station passing by were changed to the strange one. Shortly after, the train came out on the ground. It's dark outside. So I could not see it well, but I felt like the scenery was different from familiar one. However I wasn't dubious for it because I had the fact that I had taken the Circle Line.

Lessening street lights, lessening passengers .... I felt I had taken the train too long. A man looked commuter was passing on the aisle . A young couple sitting in front of me asked him with full of anxiety. "Ah, Excuse me. Do you know where this train is heading for?" "Where are you guys going?" The couple told him the name of district in the city. "My God. You got problem. You are getting apart from city center of London." Getting apart from London? ... I was surprised, then raise up my hand and said to him. "Me too. I'm going to Earls Court" "Oh, you too? Let's get off this station" The door's opened. I and the couple got off the train with the man. It seemed like his station.

"What are you gonna do? It's quite expensive for going back to London with normal taxi. I know a private one. So I'm gonna call it for you if you like" Of course, we did not want pass the night at such a small station in suburb. We asked him for the taxi.
According to him, only the last train of the Circle Line headed for suburb. Nobody could image it except frequent passenger. It's like a hammer of hammer throw. It's not the Circle Line any more. I could pay some attention if it called at least "Almost Circle Line"
Underground of London was sometimes beyond my expectation. It stopped all day long on Christmas, for instance.

After making sure the taxi came, the man left. I thanked for him anyway. The taxi driver was the Afghan. And the couple who looked like tourist were Israelis. The air in the taxi was strained as world affair. Shortly after the Israeli couple got off. The young taxi driver told me. "The Israelis, uh?""Yes, they were" Long silence came after that.

Suddenly the driver opened his mouth then spoke a lot. "By the way, how's Tokyo now a days? My little brother worked in Japan before" I had heard those kind of question hundred times before.
"You travel alone? Where do you stay? Yeah, Earls Court. You know? You can buy the girl on the street there. You already got it? 35 BP is limit. Don't pay more than that"
I got off the Circle on the night. And I learned a lot in the Afghan taxi, from world affair to street girl.