I  tightly held my handbag on my left hand and the sandwich and icetea on the right as I ran to platform number three. I had just stepped in the train when the doors closed automatically behind me. I let out a sigh of relief as I looked around for a free seat.

I had left work earlier than usual and had taken the only tram connecting Neckersulm to Heilbronn train station. I had an Interview appointment in Frankfurt am Main that was scheduled for 18:30 pm and I wanted to arrive early. (You are probably asking why so late?) I genuinely dont have an idea of how I convinced the interviewers to stay late and interview me at 18:30pm on a Friday!

When I arrived at Heilbronn main station, I had around twenty mins of buffer. I had skipped lunch to finish my tasks in time therefore, I decided to get myself a sandwich at the train station bakery . On my way to the cashier, I also picked the tetrapack icetea. The one with a huge letter T on it. The lady before me had decided that the price shield for her drink had stated 1.80 Euro. The cashier on the other hand insisted that 2.30 Euro was the price in the system.

The discussion went back and forth and I was getting really impatient! I only had a few minutes left to get on the train and these two were here discussing about 50 cents difference! After a while, the lady said something to do with ” saft laden” and left the shop. I quickly paid for what I had picked and ran on my high heels to platform number three.

I smiled as I saw the four seat space with a table. I plunged myself on the hard seats and breathed a sigh of relief as I took my CV and the possible interview questions that I had jotted down the days before. I had just finished going through them when I noticed a young seated on the neighbouring row of seats literally staring at me. He had a dark grey jumper, blue jeans. He was wearing a black greenish stomach bag on his waist and a pair of old converse chuck tailor all star. He had short dirty blond hair and brown eyes. I guessed him to be around twenty three years old. As I was used to being stared at, I ignored him and looked out the window at everything that was passing by. I forgot, we were the ones passing by. (By the above description, I am not very certain at who was staring at who?)

Just when I had put my hand on the sandwich bag, the young man came over and took a seat opposite me. I was a little bit perplexed but it was a free seat policy in the second class of Deutsche Bahn, so I couldnt ask him to leave. Nevertheless, why in the world would he come to seat opposite me in such an empty train? So I just gave him the “what the heck” look and ignored him.

I was just about to take a bite of my sandwich, when I realized that I wasnt his focal point. He was staring and aiming at my sandwich the entire time! I almost burst out laughing. “It wont hurt to share and he would probably say no,” I thought wrong. I looked mesmerized as half of the sandwich that I had given him disappered before I could take a bite of mine. He looked at me with expectant eyes, so I gave him half of my half and threw the other quarter down my throught before he could look at me again.

Not to my surprise, he looked at me again, and then at my icetea! Come on! Thats the only drink I have for the next three hours! I thought to myself. As many of you are aware, sharing a tetrapack icetea with a stranger would be difficult so i just gave it to him. He took it and gave me a big smile. As I watched him squeeze the last drops of the icetea through the drinking straw. I thought, at least I made him smile! As I had to take the connecting train at Mannheim, I said my goodbyes and went my way.

The interview went really well and the offer was good. On my way back home, I was literally dying of hunger. My stomach had filed its complaints severally but the administration had unfortunately nothing to offer.

I arrived back at Heilbronn main station at around midnight and was about to walk out when I saw that Subway was still open! Glory to God! my heart shouted. The workers were clearing and forwarding the ingredients to the back room when I asked if I could still get a sandwich. A guy walked in and also ordered a sandwich. I did not pay much attention to him as I was tired and hungry. His sandwich was done first so he walked to the cashier and paid for his and my sandwich! He then walked out even before I could say my thank you’s. I took a seat at the waiting bench just outside the train station and enjoyed my tuna sandwich.

My lesson for the day: “Whatever you give, be it good or bad, you shall also receive either in same of higher measures.” I prefer the German version which has the same meaning “So wie man in den wald hineinuft, so schallt es heraus”