I DIDN'T HEAR HER SAY "SUMIMASEN!!!"

Yesterday, on my return trip on the train, I encounter a rather spooky incident.

I got onto the Express train and since these trains usually wait around a bit before they leave the station, I managed to get a seat. After about 3 or so minutes, the train started to fill up, as it usually does. I was reading my book when I suddenly became aware of my surroundings. To the left of me, in the aisle, were a school girl and an older man. I man was speaking in a very strong voice and I girl did respond a little loud too so I imagined them to be something like father and daughter having a little quarrel.

Well, the older man kept talking, no more like yelling at her in a really strong, rather pissed-off sounding voice. And the girl just sort of held her bags and looked down. I couldn’t tell what was going on but the tone of the voice of the older man was started to creep me out.

Because he was speaking in such a forceful manner, everyone else in the train was looking at them. I’m not sure if they were isolated to begin with but there was like no one around them, aside form the people in the seats.

So I tried to not pay too much attention to it and get back to my book but then I notice the woman sitting in front of me saying something to the older man about hearer her, the school girl, say “sumimasen,” which, depending on the context, could mean, “sorry,” “pardon me,” or “excuse me,” etc. And then the older forcefully replied that he didn’t hear her. And on and on he went. At least I assume he kept going on and on about it.

Because he kept going on about it, and kept yelling at the poor girl, at the exact moment the seated woman to the other side of the older man started saying or explaining something to him, the other woman around sort of tugged the school girl away, basically getting her away from the angered old man. Eventually the guy shut up and the air in the train remained tense for quite a while.

I’m assuming that during the time everyone was getting on, one of the girl's bags must have leaned, bumped or possibly hit the older man and being a shy school girl most Japanese students are, she mumbled or said in a really soft voice, “sumimasen” but not loud enough for the grumpy deaf grandpa to hear.

I think I heard the school girl sniffle in the back. Pretty sure she was close to tears, the poor dear.

Either that old man was having a shitty day or he’s just an irritable old man. Either way, I highly doubt the school girl deserved such a scolding.