The stranger at platform nine

Quick footsteps echoed across the emptying platform.

An old man leaning on the brick wall of the train station turned his head to see who caused such a commotion.

Alex rushed through the station, already seeing that he had come a mere few seconds too late.

The locomotive released a long, loud whistle, began chugging forward, and filled the station with thick, dark clouds of smoke.

The whistle cut through the cold air with a finality that made his heart skip.

"No, no, no!" he grumbled, his voice rising with panic as he dashed to the platform edge. He watched the locomotive get faster and faster before disappearing into the distance.

His mind raced.

He’d checked the schedule earlier, hadn’t he?

True, he overslept, but he rushed through the morning as fast as he could so that there would be just enough time to catch the train, but the crowded streets and the long line at the ticket counter made him run late.

Now he was standing there, a helpless figure amid a fading cloud of the train’s smoke.

Alex clenched his fists at his sides and ground his teeth together.

He let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

The next train wouldn’t be for another thirty minutes, which felt like a lifetime to Alex.

After he angrily walked up and down the platform to let off some steam, Alex sat down in the waiting area near the exit.

Now he would be late for his first day of work, he thought shaking his head in his disappointment.

He worked hard to get this place and to be a cook in such a good restaurant.

The chef in charge didn’t seem like a person who would take a missed train as an excuse, Alex already imagined the man’s anger.

There went his potential job. He wished he could just start this morning all over, trying harder the second time.

The old man who was leaning on the brick wall of the train station turned his head and looked at Alex.

Then he walked up to him, taking a seat near the young man.

"Missed the train, didn’t ye Lad?"

What a stupid question! But Alex didn’t want to be impolite, so he merely nodded in response.

The old man stared at the tracks and fiddled with the worn flat cap in his hands.

"When I was your age, I remember that I missed a train for the first time in my life. I was quite the punctual chap you must know. It was at this very platform, station nine.

I was running as fast as my young legs could carry me, but I came a mere few seconds too late.

Now I didn’t just miss the train, but also wouldn’t make it to my court appearance. I had to testify as a witness you know.

That was the last train leaving for the day and the court trial was long over, so I had nothing else to do but to get back home.

I was quite angry and disappointed, you can believe me!

Next thing in the morning I hurried to the train station to catch the earliest train possible and get to court.

As I walked up to the railway clerk to get myself a ticket he told me that there would be no rides for today."

Alex listened silently until this point but now he was confused:

"Why were there no tickets at all? You’ve had so much bad luck these two days!"

The old man shook his head, lost in deep thoughts of times long gone.

"Quite the contrary my boy, I have been very lucky indeed.

You see, the railway clerk told me that there’d been a huge accident, the train I’d missed crashed into another, sadly no passenger survived this collision.

So being late for the first time in my life led to missing this train, which rescued my life. I have never been more grateful.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here nearly fifty years later, telling you this story."

Alex was very humbled by the old man’s story, and he started to realize that missing a train might not be the end of the world.

Sometimes it could be in fact the beginning of a new one because one would see things from a very different perspective.

"This incident taught me an important lesson son.

God’s plan is the best.

And although I thought missing the train was bad at first, it turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Alex thanked the old man for this valuable life lesson, and they parted under the big round sign of station nine, one feeling fulfilled to pass it on, the other with the newly gained wisdom.

Alex didn’t get to prove his abilities as a cook that day, for he received a phone call from the strict chef, telling him that because of a sudden power outage, they had to spontaneously close down the restaurant for the day.

If he hadn’t missed the train that morning, Alex would have gotten to the restaurant all in vain, and God knows how hectic he would have operated for he was quite stressed due to the fact that he overslept on such an important day, and had to rush to the crowded train station.

After the next day, the power outage had been resolved, and Alex went to work his dream job at the restaurant.

He woke up at the right time, was one of the first passengers to get on the train, and showed up at his new workplace totally composed and ready to deliver.

The strict chef was very impressed by his culinary talents and hired him on the spot.

Alex’s wish to start all over again had come true, resulting in him getting his dream job and performing great at it.

Always remember that if you feel as if everything is going wrong and you missing the train is a bad thing,

God’s plan is always the best.