The baby’s cries seemed to shake in unison with the train coach as it sped along the rail tracks at high-speed. The mother tried to pacify the baby but the strange new environment was sending shivers through the baby and it refused to calm. The mother was lucky to be in a special priority carriage room and so it was just her and her baby and that suited her just fine. In truth, the train conductor saw that the baby was crying and put her away from all the other passengers. However, this isolation was to be disrupted.

The door opened and the train conductor glanced over to the crying baby.

“Sorry ma’am, another passenger.” He said.

The mother couldn’t tell who he was apologising to. He left as quickly as he could. The other passenger was an elderly lady, all dressed in black. She sat down, lightly placed her bottom onto the bench seat opposite the mother. The baby momentarily paused upon seeing the new guest.

“Looks like we’re in this for the long haul.” The mother said. The lady nodded looking distantly at the baby. She wasn’t quite present.

“She’s only a week old.” The mother continued, wondering whether this small talk was worth the investment. Again the lady nodded.

Suddenly, the baby resumed the baby-song and both women flinched at the piercing noise. The lady stared more intently at the baby and tears began to drop.

“He died last week.” Those were her first words. “My husband...”

The mother glared with awkward sympathy. She had brought life into the world and the lady opposite her has lost life from the world. It was something of irony surely that they would be paired in this carriage train.

“I’m so sorry to hear.” The mother sympathised. The lady dabbed a white cloth to her eyes and seemed to be nodding in agreement or in the motion of crying.

“He was killed on the field. I’m going to see his body.” The lady spluttered between sobs.

This struck a note for the mother. She was on her way to see her husband, who was also a soldier in the war. She fretted to think that he may share the same fate.

“Your baby... is beautiful.” The lady seemed to regain some control. “It would be such a thing for God to take my husband away and give life to your baby. May I hold...?”

“Her. And yes of course.” The mother came across to the lady and carefully placed her baby into the lady’s frail arms. The baby stopped crying and for once on this journey, she smiled. The lady smiled. And seeing that both baby and this lady were now smiling when just a moment ago, they weren’t brought a smile to her face too.