The Train Ticket

Hugo reached the station with twenty minutes to spare, pleased with himself for having left home early. He was travelling to Valencia to visit his cousin and had saved the ticket on his phone. The departure boards were crowded with information, and several trains were leaving within a few minutes of one another, which made it hard to take in more than a general impression.

He glanced at the screen and saw a train departing at 10:15 from platform four. That matched the time on his ticket, so he joined the queue at the barrier. He was almost at the front when an announcement mentioned Valladolid. Hugo stopped. Something about the name did not sit right with him, because he was fairly sure that his ticket said Valencia, and the two words were suspiciously alike.

He stepped out of the line and examined the ticket properly for the first time. It said Valencia, coach six, seat forty-two and platform five. The train on platform four did indeed leave at exactly the same time, but it was going somewhere completely different. He had been about to board it on the strength of a single number, without checking anything else.

To be certain, Hugo asked a member of the station staff where platform five was. She pointed towards a staircase behind him and confirmed that the Valencia train had not yet begun boarding. He thanked her and walked over calmly, resisting the temptation to run, now that he understood he had time. He noticed that his heart was beating faster than the situation really justified.

Once aboard the correct train, he found his seat and heaved his suitcase onto the luggage rack. He sent his cousin a message: “On the train. Nearly got on the wrong one!” His cousin replied with a laughing face and a reminder to check the destination, not just the time. Hugo smiled. He was quite sure he would remember that advice on the journey home.