Agra to Varanasi Train Station, Travel Logs...November 20, 2005

It was late, not unusual for the trains in India...not unusual at all. So I sat, on the sides, there was a friend older couple nearby as well as a young tourist couple.

We all waited patiently with our fellow Indian passengers when a little boy, maybe at the age of 7 approached. He was filthy with torn clothes on, he did not approach anyone directly, not the Indians, not the tourists. He was not begging and it was hard to surmise whether he was alone.

As he walked from one end of the train station to the other, he smiled often. He smiled at the small child that approached him and the smile did not disappear when the Mother of the small child pulled her away, he just looked on.

By the look in our eyes, the tourist eyes..we all kept a keen eye on the child..an eye in wonder. The Indians were unphased by the young child, by his appearance or solitude. But to us, the tourist, we wondered, we wondered with hope and curiousity and hope.

After a few minutes, the boy stopped, sat and played with marbles..alone. He laughed, and chased them as they went from one end of the station to the other. As one marble approached me and the young tourist couple, both I and the gentlmen rose to chase the marble.

I got to it first, I chased it and retrieved it and then I sat on the dirty station floor and played as the Indians looked on with laughter. I was horrible but I tried to make the marble go in the right direction, I sat and smiled until a man in uniform approached with a complaining Indian requesting that the child stop.

I could not protest for I did not speak their language and the stern look was word enough to keep the small child safe. I said goodbye for the train approached and as I boarded I looked back and noticed the small boy was curled up in a ball, holding his ears to keep the sound of the crowd and train out.

I wish I would not have gotten on that train...I wish I would have stayed with the small boy who needed new clothes, a bath, love and company.