“Sir, you are on a wrong train…”

the ticket inspector told me.

I was a third embarrassed, a third confused, and a third panicked for not knowing what to do… yes, a very complicated feeling…

I was on the ride from Hiroshima to a OnSen hot spring vacation hotel to see my parents and brother. In Hiroshima station, where I boarded the train, I thought I was very punctual. When I arrived at the designated platform 15 minutes prior to the departure time, the train had also just arrived and stopped right in front of me. Soon after I boarded the train, sat down and accommodated myself at my assigned seat, the train started moving. It was way too ahead of time, I thought. My watch showed I had another 10 minutes till the departure time…

I was a little confused but I felt relief. If I had arrived at the platform 5 minutes later, I may have missed the train. I thought it is about time to change the watch battery…

As I watched the fast-gliding scenery outside from the wide window, I was thinking about my family, whom I had not seen in years. When I was small, my parents took us to different places as family trips. We went to strawberry hunting in springs, beach in summers, forest in falls, and ski in winters. That was when I was small, before we moved to Malaysia. It was probably the first time in many years that we had a family trip together.

When the food cart passed by my seat, I bought a bottle of cold green tea. I was not thirsty or hungry but I was curious what kind of things they are selling. I almost got a box of Bento box lunch but I reminded myself that a big luxurious dinner is waiting for me in the Onsen vacation hotel.

After a while of watching the scenery outside, I had slipped to my dream land.

…

I was woken up by the ticket inspector’s voice asking for the train ticket. As I reached my pocket for the ticket, he told me that I am on a wrong seat. I took out my ticket and handed it over to him. As I handed it over, I glanced at the seat assignment on the ticket, and I immediately looked at the seat code on the wall.

I was at the right seat.

The ticket inspector looked at the ticket twice. I thought the system that he had in his hand must have Wi-Fi connection error or something that did not show the real-time information of who is assigned to which seat.

My doubt about the technology has turned into an embarrassment in less than a second when I was told that I was on a wrong train!

The next moment, I thought “but how???”

The train inspector told me, after punching some information in his system, that I had to wait for my train at the same platform for another 5 minutes, then my train had arrived just in time.

In other words, my watch was correct. The trains were operating every 10 minutes, and I took the train just before my train. That is why the train left way ahead of time. I should have waited for another 10 minutes. I should have checked the board on the train and checked its destination. I should have…

Well, it was too late. I had to some how get to the destination from there. Should I get off at the next station and return to Hiroshima? Maybe there is a train from the next station going to the OnSen hotel. Can I rent a car? Is it really far??? Where am I and where exactly am I going???

I must have looked very desperate… the ticket inspector punched in some information in his system and told me to get off in the next station and take what-what train, that I do not even remember what it is called.

The train that I transferred was not the fast bullet train but a local train that stops at every single station. It was slow. Frustrating. I did no even know what time I would be arriving at the destination… My parents and brother must have finished their meal and enjoyed the hot spring… what a stupid son…

It was passed 9pm when I arrived at the destination train station. I was supposed to be there at 4pm… I missed so many hours on the train. My parents were waiting for me at the station. I did not know what to say but to thank them.

Despite the hour, the hotel served us the huge dinner. Such a great meal. The hot spring was great too!