wilma_1

by the same author:

Wilma 2
Wilma 3
Wilma 4
Wilma 5
Wilma 6
Wilma 7
Wilma 8
Wilma 9
Wilma 10

Wilma Wesselhöft, an elderly lady, entered the IC 505 with the promising name „Schau ins Land" at Dammtor, one station before Hamburg main station. She found her reserved seat, stored her case with the help of a nice and polite gentleman and sits now next to the window ready to read Bölls’ „Irisches Tagebuch".

But instead of reading she looks out the window. As the train gets to main station she notices many people on platform 14 eager to enter the train. She likes watching other people and always tries to guess who they are, what are their professions and the like.

She wonders where they are all off to. The train goes to Basel in Switzerland. She, however, shall have to leave it in Cologne.

A lady in her late sixties seems to ignore everybody else. Probably she is secretly watching the other passengers too. She pretends to look at an art catalogue. As the compartment is completely occupied, there will be no new passengers for a while and Wilma decides to find out „who is who". So she asks the lady holding the art catalogue „Are you interested in arts?" „Yes, I am" is the short answer. After a short pause the lady continues: „ Art has been my profession, I have worked as curator for the Hamburger Kunsthalle."

The ice is broken and a vivid conversation starts during which Wilma learns that the polite gentleman has indeed been a teacher, the young lady with the red handbag is still studying, the drummer is a teacher on his sabbatical and the pony-tailed guitar player is an American living in Hamburg. Now she is asked what her hobbies are and whether she is still in a job. She tells that she retired two years ago and that she now finds more time for her hobbies.

Wilma now waits for the other passengers to start a conversation and looks out of the window.