Train Story, Part II / by Paul Christian

The last time Keanu Reeves saw his mother, they had an argument. It started about Keanu Reeves's habit of collecting decorative nutcrackers. “Why collect them?” she said, “they don't even work. This is weird.” Keanu Reeves keeps an actual nutcracker in with his decorative collection just for such occurrences, as they are quite common. Keanu gathered for the functional nutcracker and placed it on a table in front of his mother which had on it a white ceramic bowl with walnuts in it. Keanu Reeves held up a nut and handed it to his mother so she can inspect the nut for authenticity.

Keanu Reeves's mother held the walnut at arms length, about 4 feet from the light for a moment as if holding an egg up to a candle. The walnut cast a shadow in the shape of a giant walnut, roughly a volleyball, on the face of Keanu Reeves's mother. The effect was not unlike an eclipse and to Keanu Reeves, it was equally forboding. Keanu Reeves's mother then handed the walnut back to Keanu Reeves with a disapproving facial expression. Keanu Reeves placed the walnut in the mouth of his functional nutcracker and lowered the lever. Keanu Reeves's functional nutcracker cracked the walnut, parts of which fell to the table.

Keanu Reeves's mother picked up another nutcracker she had picked more or less at random, and placed it on the table. “This one.” She said, “Do this one.” Keanu frowned. Keanu Reeves had an argument with his mother. Keanu Reeves does not want to visit his mother. Keanu Reeves takes off his watch and places it in his bag. Keanu does not want to be aware of the passing of time though the joint is helping to dilate things quite nicely. Keanu Reeves throws the roach out the window of the moving train.

Keanu Reeves sighs. Keanu has returned to his seat and places his arm on the sill of the window. Keanu Reeves's local newspaper is on the floor of the train. Keanu Reeves looks out the window of the train. While looking outside, Keanu's eyes cannot render anything in distinct detail in the foreground but in the distance, Keanu sees the outline of a cow. Keanu does not know how, but feels he has made eye contact with this cow. Keanu Reeves knows it. Keanu Reeves has seen the essence of this animal.

Keanu Reeves looks at the rapid gestures of trees and thinks, “Oh, trees. Trees, I guess.” In Keanu's mind, Keanu Reeves's mother gets lost with the young girl whose name he cannot recall. The cow is there too. “They are somewhere in these trees, right now.” Keanu Reeves thinks, “they are there and they are happy. And when I get to her house no one will be home. I will ring twice to be sure.”

Keanu Reeves sighs in a different way and the train keeps moving.