Mary never told me anything, I had to figure it out myself. Who was the strange man? Was he her boyfriend? Or had been? We waited. He never came.
I wanted to ask so many things, but Mary was not interested in explanations. I had to learn everything myself.
The first time we went to a big train station in the north of the city – huge electric beasts. One big diesel from some faraway part of the empire would bring him home.
A big surprise, “Tomorrow comes my boyfriend. He was in the army, you know.”
He did not come the first time, nor the second, nor any other time. At whatever trainstop, from whatever job…
During the day we went there or somewhere to meet him and greet him home.
He didn’t come.
At night I came.