The Station Name I Heard

On the train home, I was staring absently out the window.

The announcement sounded like the name of my usual station.

I stood up as I always did.

When the doors opened, I stepped onto the platform.

I headed toward the stairs as usual.

But the stairs were not where they should have been.

Instead, the uncovered platform continued a little farther ahead.

Only then did I look at the station sign.

I had gotten off one station early.

When I looked back, the train was already leaving the platform.

I must have misheard the announcement.

There was still some time before the next train.

Walking from here would not change my arrival time by much.

I went up the stairs and through the ticket gate.

For the moment, I decided to follow the railway line.

It was not an unfamiliar road.

Usually, though, I saw it from the train window.

About halfway to my station, a notification arrived on my phone.

It was from the parcel lockers near the station.

Your package is ready for collection

I remembered that I had arranged for an order to be delivered to the lockers by my usual station.

It had only been scheduled to arrive sometime that evening.

I checked the time on the notification.

If I had gotten off at my usual station, I would already have left the station area behind.

Instead, I was still on my way there.

I kept walking and reached my usual station.

Inside the locker was a cardboard box.

I carried it in my arms and headed home.

As I left the station entrance behind, I heard an announcement from the platform.

This time, the station name sounded the way it always did.