Stayin’ alive

by Olia Shylo (Ukraine)

Making a local connection Germany

Imagine, at seven o'clock in the morning, you always take your train to the center of Berlin. You are preceded by work, difficult papers, meetings, guy with an big ugly belly. You think about it and it turns you into depression. You put on huge headphones for music to cover all the surrounding noises, even the knock of the wheels from the train. The trains rhythm reminds you “Stayin’ alive” song. You can save someone’s life with that. While heart attack. Or life attack. You are riding in an almost empty wagon. No one is around you. Only a few people are scattered around the corners. Suddenly, a head appears from the seat in front of you, and begins to say something. The head smiles. You take off your headphones to catch. A girl with big brown eyes and a silly face asks you about an unknown stop somewhere is the center. Her English is wrongheaded, so you can't recognize a single word. You apologize and dive into paper thoughts again. Ha, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive… Oh! - the name of the stop rhythmically popped up in your head. This is Vinetastraße! She has to change few trains for a green line, and then two tram stops and here’s the street! Or not? You really want to help, but not screw up. You start look for a local to confirm your own guesses. The train is early, just after the arrivals, so you are afraid to run into the tourist again. This. No, these. This one looks like a German. In the seat across the aisle thoughtful boy sits by the window. He reads a book and looks pretty sad. His balloonshaped head is about to fly away as soon as the window opens. Maybe he also feels like a balloon. You really want to help, so you call him and ask about a stop. The balloon guy sadly shrugs and says “Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue”. The same goes for the tourist with big eyes and a wicked smile. Suddenly, the tourist breaks out of the place and runs poking in the map on the wall of the train. What do you want from me, silly? I want think about ugly belly guy! You get up and powerlessly approach the map. The morning wagon comes to life. Suddenly, all the passengers turned to the map and began to listen these dialogues. The balloon boy looks at you, starts smiling and goes to the map to tell his version of the route. Imagine. Three people stand at the map and as scientists in front of the desk squint their forehead. They're kidding, laughing and finally agreed about route. Finish. A minute after the same brown eyes stare at you with a smile. She has a mandarin. You refuse, because you do not want to eat at all, but she insists. “Pliz. Take it.” With a shy smile, you take the gift and lower your eyes. You feel as hot train air is flowing inside. The morning began so unexpectedly. You helped the tourist and now you are eating a mandarin with sour-sweet taste and good winter smell. This girl with huge eyes offers a mandarin to a guy, but he stubbornly refuses. Then she stubbornly pokes him a chocolate bar. He gives up and takes it. Again stubbornly. Three different people sit in three corners of the wagon, eating and smiling. Such a strange contact happened. The balloon guy is sweet. He is very shy and not talkative. He is looking at chocolate cover, and you are at mandarin peels. You wish everything going well for the girl. Ha, ha, ha, sta… “I’m sorry, can I sit down?” Ballon boy smiles and take a seat in front you. Within fifteen minutes, you exchange numbers and exit at the same stop. The girl with big brown eyes goes to her Vinetastraße. You stayed alive. Your heart has been saved. But what could make this guy ask for her number? Apparently endorphins from the chocolate bar. I know this for sure because I’ve been this big brown eyes tourist.