I had just ran up the stairs of the train station, chasing the rushing steps of my mother. Her long skirt was loosely playing in the wind. We stepped into the front door of the first wagon of a stuffed train that was about to depart. My mother walked inside, and I followed her. The stiffly standing hot air smelled like an unpleasant mixture of sweat, cheap perfume and ashtray. All seats were taken. People were breathing heavily. Drops op sweat were sliding down their faces. Even with the windows open, there was no breeze.
It was a sunny, warm day, and the city people, just like us, had planned a day on the beach. Like any other regular nine year old, I wore a T-shirt, my light blue jeans and sandals, but in this heat I felt overdressed. As my mother and I reached the narrow connection between the wagons, my mother suddenly stopped. She saw a row of people in front of her. The train was so busy that she had to wait before even trying to open the door. We stood still in the tiny claustrophobic place. Then suddenly I felt someone lean onto my back, tightly rub against me. This felt different from just somebody accidentally being pushed onto me. Right after I felt something even stranger. I looked down and saw a hand slide over my legs and then touch in between them. I could feel the warmth of the hand through my jeans, and I sensed my peeing spot become swollen and wet. I was surprised by the reaction of my body to this unexpected touch. I had no idea what was going on. I was in shock. Shocked by the hand and by my body’s response to it. Startled, I turned my head to see the person behind me. A man in a sleeveless white shirt and hard nipples shamelessly looked me in the eye. His drunken face gave me a contented smile. I felt anger and disgust rushing through my blood. I had no idea what and why he was doing to my body, but all I knew was that this was wrong and I wanted it to stop right away.
– Mom, the man behind me is acting weird, I panicked and loudly said to my mother, hoping, he would back off.
– What do you want me to do, my mother responded annoyed, without noticing the fear in my voice. We are stuck in a stuffed train. Just let him be, she said.
I gave an angry look to the man, but he never interrupted his dirty action. This moment felt like eternity. I was helpless. The train was so packed, I didn’t even have enough space to push him off of me with my elbows. ‘Thank god I’m not wearing a skirt,’ I thought to myself. Then suddenly a gust of hot wind blew onto me and I fell forward. I finally got loose from the hand. I rushed forward my fastest possible, and I never shared this shameful story with anyone.