I had nothing to do except to wait for the match to start early morning at 3am. So when Jankovic called me and asked me to accompany him to the airport to pick up a friend, I agreed. It was raining like shit that night, and I wanted to get out for a while.
I land up at the airport and find Jankovic missing. I go out for a cigarette and promptly get driven in by a policeman who spits "This is no smoking area, you know".
Finally, I find Jankovic waiting at Gate 26 with a coffee in hand.
- Why didn't you pick up your phone? -
"Oh, I am sorry I didn't know that you had called".
- Where's you friend coming in from? -
"From London, she was in university with baby".
Jankovic is one funny fucker who refers to his wife as baby to any third person. That's maybe why I agreed to come and pick a friend of baby on a night the storm drains were threatening to flow in. I could have been busy getting through some lucky beers instead.
- Why isn't Maggie here? -
"She had an office function to attend.. Apparently baby's friend, Laura, gave her a call before she boarded the flight and sounded completely messed up. Shaken. Something obviously had happened to her and wasn't making too much sense. Baby thought it necessary that I be here to receive her".
- Cool, hope its nothing serious -
We spent the next 20 minutes watching other people with their noses glued against the glass walls. Finally, Jankovic mumbled something. I gathered that Laura was finally here.
Laura was quite tired, understandably after a very long flight. She didnt seem any coherent after the long journey. Or was it me? I suggested I can drop them off at Jankovic's home.
"I would like a coffee first and settle down", Laura said.
Not knowing what to say and what Laura was all about, I decided to head for a smoke. Back to the same place. This time there was no policeman. Had a few furtive drags and I walked back. They were at the coffee shop.
I got myself a cup as well, thinking that it was going to be a long night. I sat down with the 2 of them. I gathered Laura was explaining her relief to be far away from London. With the urgency of someone having something important to say, she launched into her story.
"It was such a coincidence I had these open tickets to Singapore to visit Maggie and you. After what had happened, I thought it was best I took that much promised break and come down.
"I was heading home after spending last Thursday night with a couple of colleagues, working on a presentation that we were to make in a couple of weeks. It was going to be a crucial one, this presentation, which would determine if we were going to get additional funding. It went on longer than expected as we couldnt agree on many things and I eventually took the the last train at London Bridge. Heading home at Clapham South.
Jankovic, as you know, its something Maggie & I did all the time when we were in university - we have seen many empty trains and empty stations at midnight. But to be honest, as I have grown older, I avoided late trains and take a cab instead. That night I guess I was preoccupied with this whole presentation thing and just walked straight to the station."
Jankovic nodded knowingly.
"I was in this compartment, somewhere in the middle of the train. Fortunately I wasn't all alone. Across from where I was sat, there were these young, nosiy kids. 3 punks. Or Goths, I wouldn't know. Whatever.. Frankly, they were all right - two guys and one girl, with the girl between the both of them. I normally do the usual commuter thing of staring at my phone or nowhere in particular - but with nobody around, my eyes gravitated towards their corner.
It wasn't just the usual drunken banter that was going on. The girl.. she had her boobs being groped by both the guys and there was loud music coming out of their ears & pockets. There was very little talking but much snogging. My eyes quickly reverted to the phone, attempting to shut out the groans.
I was telling myself that I have seen all of this before and it shouldn't disturb me in any way. Involuntarily, I took another quick look at them and thats when I realised, admist this threesome, the girl was staring at me.
Now that was a bit wierd and the "uneasiness" meter within me started climbing. I kept looking back at them, partly to make sure that they were not getting any closer to me and partly to check on the girl. Fucking hell, she was still staring at me. I dont think the two guys noticed that I was around. Her tits were hanging out, with one of them sucking on her.
I couldn't help but hold my glance now - out of fear, incredulity.. I dont know. The guys were shouting something out and I think one of them was trying to pull her pants down. The overhead voice announced we were approaching Elephant & Castle station.
Aware that it meant nothing i.e. a station arriving at this hour - I was desperately hoping that someone got in. The doors opened and this one chap got in.
A tall black guy, with a bag slung across his shoulder and a cap on his head, walked in. He was really big, wearing a white loose shirt and had these large tattoed arms. Before I knew, my heart was beating hard, my hands sweating and fear slowly enveloping me. At that moment, though I am ashamed to admit this, I just couldnt control all these horrible thoughts running through my head. I had heard and read many stories about midnight travesties. I felt that I had walked into my "moment" in the London tube. Fucking great.
He walked towards me and sat beside me. He took a good look at me as he sat down. The train started moving and through the corner of the eye, I noticed that nothing had stopped at the other corner. The noises were getting louder all the time, while the girl was still staring at me.
I didn't know how to reassure myself anymore. I was desperately hoping a bunch of tourists would get in at Kennington, the next station. I focussed on the tunnel walls whizzing past and trying to breathe deeply. After what seemed a few minutes, the black guy turned towards me and spoke out clearly - Please listen, I suggest that you get off at the next station.
What the fuck? Why? What was I supposed to do? Did I hear him right? I instinctively looked at the three - the music was still loud and the girl's pants were at her ankles. One of the guys was rubbing his face against her legs at this point".
This was getting all too wierd for me.
Laura went on, "The train was drawing into Kennington and I just had this immediate urge to get away from all of this. As the doors opened, the black guy got up and walked out. I found myself following him out of the train.
There was brief relief after the door had shut and the train had left. I was away from the 3 but now next to this tall, big black guy on an absolutely empty platform. I had no idea what to do after that. Which exit? Now was it the beginning, rather than the end, of my "moment"? Fuck, fuck. What the fuck have I done? To be stranded like this.
After a few minutes, seconds, whatever, the huge black guy placed his hands on my shoulder and said, "Dont worry, I am a doctor. I recognise those eyes. Overdose. That girl was dead."
He looked at me - out of sympathy, lust, terror, I dont know - smiled and walked away."
Laura stopped speaking and there was silence at the table.
- Bloody shit - was all I could manage.
There was much stillness in the air. I looked at my watch. It was minutes away from the start of the match. I had to go. I asked - Can I drop you guys somewhere?
Laura looked at me not knowing what to say. I looked at Jankovic, and figured he wasnt upto saying anything.
I left then, trembling a bit. Looking forward to some lucky beers.
Over the weekend watched a BBC documentary on the 20th anniversary of the fall of Soviet Union. It had this long interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, where he spoke about his doomed roller coaster experience - from a revolutionary within to a beaten leader who oversaw the collapse of his country. Talked of Glasnost & Perestroika, reminding one of his charisma, powers of anticipation and courage to pursue change much against the wishes of the army and KGB. Eventually he was caught out by the surging nationalistic movement at the time and unceremoniously removed from power. As we hear from people close to him during his final days as the leader of the USSR, it emerges that he was blinded by his own stubborness. Blinded by his grand vision of how things should be. 
It has been a horrible start to the season. Enough has been written about how Arsenal is on its way to a mid table spot after having been stripped of its 2 best players. Empty seats, angry fans and the end of Arsene Wenger era hog most season preview articles. Amongst a whole host of issues that plague the team, the primary reason why the Wenger youth project has not been successful is down to lack of leadership. Wenger has been the defacto captain of the team for the past few years and has failed to drive the team mentally & tactically. 
