On Saturday evening I went to pick up my son from his
father to go with him to an Indonesian event. Luckily
I went there early enough, so that I met them on the
way (well, they were on their way to me at home - a
misunderstanding -, but they noticed me from the car
and called me, while I was per usual going with my
invisible blinker on, too busy with my own thoughts..).
So, my son jumped out of the car and we made our way
to the event.
Before we got there, we must wait on the barrier until
the train passed. There was a neat old lady in a red
jacket, looking a bit confused, as if she wanted to go
down the busy street. But then she turned over, picked
out a piece of paper of her handbag and asked a cyclist
in front of us, either she would be able to catch the
train and showed him the paper. He said, she just missed
her train a few minutes ago, and suggested her to go to
the station and ask them for another train connection.
The barrier was opening, we passed the railroad crossing
and went into the building to buy our tickets. But then,
we were half an hour too early. The counter would be open
at 6 o'clock, so we couldn't buy the tickets yet.
So I went to look for the lady again. I have half an hour
to keep her accompany to the train station, which is not
far from there. She was still standing on the crossing,
asking other people for help. I went to her and offered
her my help. She was relieved, thanked me and walked
with me to the station (my son followed us slowly a few
steps back).
On the way I took a look on that piece of paper she had
shown the cyclist before. I saw, it's a connection to
Lugano, printed today. She had even two connections.
She had missed the first one, but the other one she
will make it. I then asked her, either she already had
a ticket, as we could then take a shorter way to go
directly to the track. She opened her handbag, took out
her wallet, which was empty except of three papers - a
play card (it looked like a card from a memory game to
me), an insurance card (I should have take a better look
of the name on it and the name of the company *sigh*
first mistake) and one more thing, which I don't remember
anymore (a photo or something else). No bank card, no
money. She was baffled (me too!) and stopped to walk.
I asked her, either she has relatives or friends here
in Constance - no, she said, she came far, far away from
up north (later she mentioned
Travemünde, which is almost
on the most northern border of Germany - I wondered, how
she got here, but I didn't ask.. second mistake). I
suddenly felt helpless, didn't know what to do next. I
decided to take her to the information counter on the
station (in front of the station a police car was parked,
but nobody was there *sigh*), without knowing exactly what
should happen next.
As soon as we got there, the Chinese looking man at the
counter started to talked impatiently to the lady, saying
"I've given you the two connections, so that if you miss
the one, you could still take the other one, which will
be leaving in ten minutes. Go there!" I told him, she
doesn't have a ticket. He answered me, she just have to
go into that train. I (didn't want to speak to them in
front of her) showed her the underpass and went back to
the counter. I told both of them, that I thought, she is
confused, don't have a ticket nor money with her. The
same man answered me, they can do nothing for her.
My blood started to boil. They got a phone, they need
only to call a police or ask anybody else, there were no
customers waiting - so how could they just sit there and
say, they could do nothing?!! I yelled at him "You could
call a police!" and ran out again, looked, where the lady
was (she didn't went to the underpass, but went nearly
the Swiss station and was asking a man again), I went
to the other side to see, either the police is now in the
car (nope). Again, I felt helpless. Then I remember there
should be kind of a shelter service on the back of the
station normally and went to the back side. It was closed
early today, as it is the German Unity Day (but maybe it
was a service room for something else and I just didn't
look properly..). I wanted to go look for the police once
again, as the man from the counter went towards me and
told me, if I want to help her, then I should took her
to the train, and that she is a Swiss citizen, so
they should take care of her.
Somehow I couldn't think clearly anymore. I'm worried about
the lady (pretty odd, as I don't know her at all and don't
know, either she told me a fairy tale or not..) and I don't
know, how to help her - that made me insane! His statement
is not the same as hers (she is not from Switzerland according
to her statement before. Third mistake. My head felt fuzzy!).
I went to her (she was in the station again, talking to some
women) and told her, I'll bring her to her train. She followed
me. As we got there, I told her to go in and take a sit (she
asked me, either I come with her - I said, no, the train will
start soon and I have to go). Then I went to the conductor and
told him the story in a short version (a lady in red jacket
wants to go to Lugano, no tickets nor money, seems confused
and she now sits in his train). He looked at me with a big
questioning mark on his face, but politely answered me, that
he'd noticed it and will look for her. So, I left. I took a
last look through the windows, either she's sitting there
somewhere (yes, she was) and I left with my boy and went to
the event (it was already 6:08 pm).
Yet, I feel guilty. I took an action, but I didn't follow my
instinct till the end. She didn't speak confused, but in one
or another way, I believed she was. I should have insist, that
those men on the counter call a police for help. She could
have been missed somewhere.. But maybe I've just watched too
much movie..
Anyhow, I hope, she's doing well, where ever she is now...
