Fighting the Current

The doors slid open and I stepped into the metal pod. I never understood the appeal of these potential death traps. Just because it got me to places quicker than any other form of transportation didn’t mean that it was the most ideal. I shoved my way to the nearest seat and claimed it as my own. Caring little for my surroundings, I pulled out my tablet and dueled an unknown user at chess.
“Fancy game you have there,” an unwelcome voice spoke into my ear. I jerked my head up. Since when did people talk to each other on the subway? I glanced over sharply at the man sitting beside me. He was easily in his eighties, and judging by his weathered brow and worn hands, he had earned his years.
“It passes the time.” I shrugged, brushing him off, and redirected my focus back to the glowing screen.
“But it also wastes it, doesn’t it.” It wasn’t a question, and the man was staring at me expectantly. I sighed and locked the tablet.
“Well, since its chess, it exercises my brain.”
“Why do you need to play a game to exercise your brain when there are dozens of people around you?”
“I obviously don’t know them. Why would I talk to them? It would be rude to bother them.” I said pointedly.
He scoffed, “Why would you talk to anyone, then? Why take the chance to know people if you’ll just ‘bother them’?”
“That’s completely irrelevant. You cannot make that comparison.” That’s when I noticed people staring at us. We were disturbing their silence. Embarrassed, I turned my attention back to my game of chess. Three days later the old man appeared again; He was sitting in the same exact seat as before. I ignored the two empty seats beside him and nestled myself into the uncomfortable bench across the aisle. Just before the doors slid shut, a young man hustled into the bullet train. He huffed a sigh of relief and gripped an overhead handle as the train took off. I flicked my eyes back to my tablet, but soon got bored with my game.
Why should I sit here silently while I am surrounded by people?
I put away my device and picked my head up. I felt my eyes widen and a sense of unease washed over me. The young man had found the empty seats near the aged gent; and as soon as he sat down, the aged man began speaking to him. What nerve! How dare he? That was my old man.
Then I shook myself. What was I thinking? He wasn’t the only person on this train. Granted, he might be the only one willing to talk, but I was determined. I did a quick analysis of everyone who was within hearing range, and noticed a young girl next to me reading a book. I found myself captivated by the leather binding and yellowed pages. Actual pages.
“Fancy book you have there,” I said.