bedtime story for a goldfish

"tell you what, i'm a time traveller baby. fuhreals!" exclaimed the african american lady sporting neon and extra saturated tropical colored clothes.
there's a fucking time traveler on a cellphone that is blocking my way down the subway.

i almost believed her. but deciphering from what era or place or planet she came from is beyond my powers. i try to pass in front her but she blocks the turnstiles with a sudden shift of walking pace. she stops as she tap her card and say in a faint voice, "i will break up with my lover from the past to continue my affairs at the future." then she proceeds a level down the subway to wait at the platform.

at 559 the train arrives. it's already 606; then comes another minute. the train arrives full of passengers from different sides of the world. i try to snatch a nap when a brunette, probably in her early 30's, shares her own version of celine dion’s my heart will go on. she sings ok with minor vocal struggles. she even includes the hums and the flute part as a bonus. a baby hangs tired at the baby straps attached in front of her. she begs for alms. single mommy needs to feed the baby fast. look! life is escaping it!
i closed my eyes and listened to the shins playing on my zune.

the train stops. unannounced halt. lights went out for about thirty seconds. the immediate silence precedes the air of panic. when lights come back train moves forward. it should be. all of us should.

i glance at the rectangular window with curved edges. the blinking horizantal lights look semi surreal. almost like time travel shit you see in the movies. it reminds me of wong kar wai's 2046. time travelling for love, to love, because of love.

other people begging for alms board and left the train.
colonizing odors from diverse bodies of different chemical make-up invades the nose. sleep seems like the only refuge but in dreams, the odors transform into wicked creatures. creatures you deem not to encounter even in real life. creatures you want to forget. i choose to close my eyes and breathe through my nose.

then the past pays a visit. fucking images of the past waves hello. no strong odor is needed to conjure those images. they just come whenever they wish to appear. i see images of the past plaguing the present. i also see futures with and without the past. having these visions makes me feel lethargic for the next 30 minutes of my travel. the train arrives at the last stop. train is now out of service.

please leave the train for inspection.

time to move on.