Big Mama's House

I left Salzburg last night at 8:10p.m. At midnight I was at my transfer point. I could never have imagined what was next. Some thoughts on last night...

WOW—Didn’t see this one coming. I just got on my night train to Milan and it is 12:37 a.m. The conductor shows me to my car. I’m bed #61. The door is locked. I knock on the door. Nothing. I knock again. Nothing. I knock a third time and the door slides open. A large black woman, with a fro, wearing silk pajamas answers. I thought, Oh F*CK, no way! Sure enough, this is my coachette. This is what I paid 120 euros for, good god!

As a peer in, there is nowhere to move because there is a huge stroller and suitcase on the floor between the 4 beds. In the upper two beds are two young girls. In my bed is a baby. In the other bed is Big ‘Ol Mama. I ask, “Is this my bed.” She responds, “Oh yes, yes” as she proceeds to move the baby. I throw my stuff at the end of the bed and ask if there are any sheets. “Oh yes,” says Big Mama. Mind you, there is NOWHERE to move so I’m in the hallway trying to do this. Like there isn’t a square inch of space to move. I toss my small bag and shoes at the end of the bed. After assembling my bed from outside the coach, I crawl over my bad and a stroller and get into my bed and wonder how the hell I am going to make it through the night.
12:10-Board
12:30-organize/lay down wondering what I'm in for tonight. Girl in the top bunk just looks at me and smiles.
1:00-baby cries
1:10-Sounds similar to a baby nursing coming from Big Mama's bed. I choose not to look or listen.
1:25-Voice of a little boy emerges form Big Mama's bed. I didn't know he was there. That means 4 adults, 1 baby, 1 5-year old, about 10 bags and a suitcase and stroller in a 6x6x10 coachette on a train that is either 400 degrees or freezing. People, are you following me?
1:35-I must go to a happy place or I might not survive the night. There is one and only one thing I can possibly do to get some rest and drown out ALL that is going on around me-Enter Celine Dion on my iPod. The angelic sounds are all that will do the trick.
2:00-I fall asleep
2:45-I awake to Big Mama grabbing my hand, "Sorry," as she tries to steady herself on a space with two kids and Big Mama, a space that barely fits me, an average sized man.
3:00-Our train stops on the tracks. At first this was ok because the A/C was still working, but it shuts on and off every 45 minutes. Minute 10/15-ok, Minute 40-NOT OK! We sat at this point for THREE hours. That's right people, we sat on the tracks until 5:30a.m.
4:15; 5:00-I wake to Big Mama snoring, enter Celine Dion again.
5:30-Train is still not moving and I begin to freak out, like getting claustrophobic. The A/C had not been on for 45 minutes, Big Mama is snoring and I'm trying as hard as I can to go to my happy place. Celine please take me to my happy place. The A/C is back on-thank God-I am able to fall asleep.
6:00-I hear the sounds of a nursing baby again. Big Mama caught my glance, it was awkward.
6:05-I hear men’s voices and I freak. When I got on the train a man in a blue shirt, smoking, took my ticket. I was tired and didn’t think anything of it. Now I start to create scenarios in my head. Maybe he didn’t have ticket and pretended to be a worker so he could take my ticket. Now we are at the boarder crossing and they are going to kick me off the train, or even worse arrest me, for not having my ticket. I just kept quiet and still. Not even Celine can help me with this situation.
6:15-the train begins moving. I see the man in the blue shirt approach our door to tell Big Mama and the kids that they have the next stop. This is why he took our tickets. Ah! Big Mama opens the shades. Now that I know I'm not trying to hideout at a stowaway, I'm better.
6:30-One of the top bunk girls asks where I'm from. She was from South Africa and very glad to miss the World Cup. Big Mama, also from South Africa, has adorned her head with a scarf and put on a top over the silk pjs. The kids are dressed and they depart the train. Now I am left with girl from India who speaks little English. I gathered that she is studying in Italy.

All said and done, Big Mama was very nice and very apologetic when the baby cried. However, that initial moment when she slid the door open, with her easy smile and fro, was like I was getting on a bud with live chickens. I wasn't sure how I would handle it. In fact, two of my dear friends, in that moment crossed my mind. First, my friend Lesley. If you know her well you know that look that would have come over her face when she saw Big Mama, a baby, 2 girls, all the luggage, and no where to move. Then Jeremy came across my mind because he wouldn't be caught DEAD in this situation. I on the other hand dove in and took it for was it was-an experience.

I'm now in Lake Como on George Clooney watch. I'll let you know if we become BFFs. Tonight I did however become BFFs with my waiter and his boss. I was alone, obviously, at dinner. The waiter helped me order some wine and I ordered ravioli in butter sauce-Unreal! Then I ordered linguine with clams. He looked at me and said, "That's two pastas." I said, "I'm American, we like carbs." He laughed. Then proceeded, with his boss, to bring me limoncello as an after dinner drink, on the house. They were very nice.

As I was sitting at dinner I was writing in my journal, the same one I took to Peru two years ago. I started to read that today, June 29th, was the day I went to Machu Picchu and met the kids at the festival. I guess June 29th is some sort of special day in my life, one with unknowing and remarkable life experiences.