Seeking Refuge.

on the morning of 19th August 2015 I boarded a train from Vienna to Salzburg. I like siting facing in the direction the train moves, I feel in control. Passengers entered the double decker Westbahn train with steaming coffee and muffins, the aroma of which filled the carriage. After a while I noticed a grim smell......a smell that comes when bathing is not a ritual that you follow. There was a big divide. Most passengers sat on my side of the carriage and those eight were seated on the far end. 3 men, 2 women, 2 small boys and a young girl.

The adults were fast asleep or looked like so, the kids were running and playing in the passageway. Inbetween one of the men will open his eyes and direct the kids to be quiet.

The young girl looked at my son who was eating chocolate and my son immediately shied away. He asked me to put away the eatable and looked side ways. Its his childhood habit to stop eating if you gaze at him intently.

There was something I noticed in that girl, she was not smiling at all but were looking at us, strangers, very hopefully. I did not understand. After a while it was breakfast time so I took out my packet of chips which I only eat when I travel to give instant energy and keeps my hands clean.

The mother of the young girl was awake by now and was looking with her huge eyes, at me. She wore a ruuged pant with a top, cropped her hair in a bun, had marks on her hand and cheeks like she worked intensely in a garden removing thorny weeds.

I smiled at her. She did not.

Now all three kids and the woman were looking at me. with my pride I felt they have not seen an Indian before and I was wondering which part of Austria or Europe were they from, clearly not Vienna. The city was too opulent and well dressed for them to belong.

And then through the opening between two seats, she said something to me.

It was not in English. It was not in Asutrian, Hungarian or even German.

It sounded different to me and I just assumed, the woman must belong to some far flung area in Europe that I am yet to travel.

I asked her what did she want with some hand gesture?

She pointed at my packet of chips and indicated with her long finger - the figure of One.

The woman wanted 'just one' potato chip.

I felt a small lump in my throat. In my travels across countries I have never come across a scenario where another traveller whom I presumed would have paid at least 16 Euro per ticket would ask for 'one' potato chip.

I didn't move.

I looked at her with wide open eyes as if she was standing with my own house keys.

She looked back at me with absolutely nothing in her eyes but hope.

I looked around the cabin, no one was looking at us.

As if I was about to pass opium to her!

I held out 2 chips to her and she grabbed it.

I felt nervous and the unwashed smell was becoming a huge opposing factor in my decision making.

The woman gave both the chips to her young girl.

And there it was.....it dawned on me my co-travellers have not eaten anything...since when...i don't know.

But that is what it was in their eyes. Hunger.

I realised.

I gave the entire pack of chips. The woman took the packet and paid me a smile.

Soon they were all hidden behind the seats and eating the chips. Saving grace, hiding shame.

All three kids were happy.

The young boy came to me and said something.

He smiled, this is all I could understand.

The family got down at Salzburg where the train terminated and then I realised the entire carriage of people chose to sit away from them to keep away from the stench coming from this particular family.

When I came back to my home in UK after few days I realised They were the 'Refugees' from Syria.

I often draw people and places in my notebook.

What you see above is the man from that group.

He was carrying his immediate family and brother's family to a safe place through Austria to perhaps Germany.

I wish I had more than a packet of potato chips that day.