, nobody batted an eyelid or met his glance. He looked back the reflection of his own face looking down at the book, and smiled. The reflection didn’t flicker. The fancy struck him that he, whoever ‘he’ was, because he was no longer attached to his reflection, might no longer be attached to his body; that he might be able to stand up and leave the person, himself, who is the original of the reflection, is sitting in the same seat as he is sitting, and who was, until a few minutes ago, exactly the same person as him, behind, walking off with no reflection, or body. The idea was fascinating and incredibly tempting, and he sat as still as he could trying not to disturb the fantasy he had persuaded himself of, as if he was trying not to disturb a fly standing on his nose, whose small vibration gave him pleasure, by any sudden movement. He was in a dreamy daze, his head and body were humming, he was very relaxed, and he didn’t want to move. The blurted announcement of his station broke him out of his reverie, and automatically he jumped up and darted off the train onto the platform before the doors slammed shut. As soon as the doors slammed shut, and the train jerked and started to move off, he realized he’d forgotten his bag. He walked quickly along the platform straining his eyes through the window to catch a glimpse of his bag, and was shocked to see himself still sitting on the train, with his head down, evidently still engrossed in the novel that he had been reading several minutes ago. He stopped, and stared after the train, watching the back of his head get more obscure so that he couldn’t make it out – maybe he turned to look out of the window, thinking that something might be wrong, suddenly worried that he’d forgotten his bag – but he wouldn’t have seen it if he did. And, in any case, he had his bag with him, safely stowed between his feet, out of danger of trampling feet, out of reach of the dirty, dark-skinned, quick-footed, thieving gypsy children. Perhaps it wasn’t his bag anymore after all. But why did he suddenly realize he’d forgotten it, if it wasn’t his to forget? Perhaps the delay in remembering his bag, and the initial forgetfulness that made him leave it behind in th

Some topics in this essay:
Hall Mirrors, , he’d forgotten, reading book, reflection continued, doors slammed shut, he’d forgotten bag, reflection continued looking, minutes ago, exactly person, doors slammed, †reflection, sitting seat, slammed shut, forgotten bag,