The formidable son-in-law

Chapter 1

People stood all around the train's platform, expecting the train to arrive. Few were seated. Others were just standing around pressing their mobile phones. Despite being a place where few people were interested in talking to each other, it was still a very noisy place. 

A mother held her child close to her waist, he was wandering far from her. He would jump around, but she did not want him to hurt himself. They were standing close to the ends of the rail line, and she would not want her son to jump on to the rail track by either mistake or his curiosity, or whatever reason makes people fall into rail tracks. 

Also, she did not want him to step on others. It would be weird if he is the reason she would have to talk to people. She wanted to leave the train station as soon as possible. 

And far into the rail tracks, she saw a figure approaching her. Instead of it being the figure of an oncoming train, it appeared to be that of a man walking slowly towards her. She moved back a bit, scared of whoever he was. She did not raise an alarm. She moved away from him. 

"Come on now," she called her son. She moved further into the crowd. She wanted to have a bit of space between her and the oncoming man. 

The man struggled and climbed the concrete that separated the rail. 

"Hey mom, what's that?" The son called out. This got the attention of others around. They looked at the little boy and then to the direction he was pointing at. 

The man staggered towards them too, everyone looked at him as he walked past. No one offered to help. 

A few were amazed at his appeared. His tattered clothes. His rough hair, whose colour can't be deciphered. His torn trousers that showed the markings of being once a neatly ironed one. 

They showed how wretched he might be, which is a bit in contrast to his appearance. 

Despite being muddled up, his face has a hard and straight jawline. And his eyeballs were dark eyeballs. His moustache rested carefully on his upper lip. 

He walked to the counter, and brought out rough cash. He dumped it right before the receptionist. 

"I will like to board a train," he muttered. 

"Your ID please?" She requested. 

"Here," he brought out a document and placed it on her table. 

"How long will the train take before getting here," he looked around. 

"It will arrive in a minute," she replied. 

"Please be seated," she pointed towards the seat, and returned his documents to him. He looked at her nervously, and he walked to where she pointed. 

A horn signify how close the train is. Just above the young man's head, an automated sound announced that everyone should step back from the rail. 

The young man stood up and moved close to the rail. He stood in line along with others. Those beside him moved back. He apologized to a woman who he feared might be offended by his presence. Even though he wasn't supposed to. 

A man nodded at him. The young man heard muttering behind him. He could only make sense of few words. 

"He looks… some noble…"

"I could swear…" 

He ignored what they were saying. He didn't want to listen to gossips. The train stood right before him. The door hissed, and it opened. Just as he was about to step into the train, he felt a sweet coldness from the fragrance and the air conditioner in the AC. He smiled. 

He staggered in and walked up front. He could feel hundred eyes staring at him. He could read all the questions they had in their minds. How did he get there and who was he? 

He crashed into an empty seat few seats from the entrance. His hand nearly hit a lady beside him. 

"I am so sorry."

"Oh! That's fine. Don't worry about it," she replied. She had her headset on her neck. She did not seem interested in what was happening beside her after the young man apologized. 

"Psst.." a voice called out. The young man wasn't expecting that he would be called. No one had shown interest in him since he miraculously got onto the train station. Those who showed interest didn't say it out. So he felt it would just be another passenger calling out another. 

"Hey!" The voice called again. It's closer than it should be. Sounded like it could be directed at him. He turned right but saw no one. Then he looked forward and he saw a man on a seat, sitting before him. The man turned his neck, and eyed the young man. 

"What's your name?" The man asked. The young man didn't feel inclined to answer. He was tired and would love to have his personal space, but the man before him, won't let him be. 

"I am John," the young man replied. 

"Now listen, little Johnny boy," He called John and pointed his fingers at him. 

"I want to sit there. You can't be there," the man said authoritatively. John does not know him. But the man seemed like he might be of importance. His neatly ironed suit fits him perfect, and he had a briefcase right by his side. John guessed he must be an influential person. 

But John did not care. He didn't move from his seat. 

"Did you hear me?" The man whispered to John. 

"Please don't mind him, he has been gobbling me with his eyes. I could swear he already stripped me naked just by staring at me," the girl sitting behind John begged him. John nodded. 

He knew what sort of person this man was. But he also knew he didn't have to give him a response. He kept staring into the ceiling. The man whispered at him again, but this time, John ignored him. 

The young lady beside him felt a bit more secure with John around. When she boarded the train some stations back, she noticed the man had been staring at her. Their eyes met at different times and he looked away, yet he wouldn't keep sneaking gazes at her. She could have confronted him, but she was scared of what his reactions might be. 

"You said your name is John right?" She tapped John. He nodded. 

"Thank you," she replied. He nodded and smiled. 

The young lady wondered what sort of man John could be. She noticed his features. His facial features were in contrast to his dressing. His perfectly toned face and body seems more noble than anyone else around. 

She wanted to know more about him, but she could not act too eager. She wouldn't even tell him her name if he doesn't ask for it. She picked up her headset, and with a bit of calmness, she put it on.

John knew she felt safe, but the man before him was still peeping over his shoulder. He would give John angry eyes. John avoided staring at him. He tried resting his head. 

And as if everyone knew he was trying to rest, he began hearing hurrying feets and people began screaming. He panicked and turned around. 

"Would you help him?" 

"I don't know what's wrong with him," another person cried. 

"We need a doctor! Don't they have any on this train?" A woman cried. 

John walked closer to the group of people circled around a man. He peeped over the shoulder of a woman. 

"What's going on?" He asked. 

Can't you see?" She answered rudely. She made ways for him and right on the floor was a well dressed man in his fifties, lying unconsciously on the floor.