One last look at Rick / Fuse

They had a full agenda.

The four of them met up in the hotel lobby for the continental breakfast and to devise a battle plan. If they were going to hit up Little Italy, the Met, Brooklyn botanical gardens, and meet the kids for an early dinner they were going to have to display a mastery over the subway system that had previously eluded them.

Just yesterday confusion surrounding the difference between the N train and R train led to an unscheduled trip to Coney Island. The day before they rode the Times Square / Grand Central shuttle back and forth four times before they realized they weren't getting any closer to Central Park. Today would have to be different.

Rick and Kathy had been to New York before - once or twice a year ever since their son moved out east. On previous trips their son had done a lot of chaperoning. They had pretty much just tagged along and took for granted the difference between local and express, between downtown and uptown. On this trip they've relied heavily on John and Susan.

John and Susan had visited the big apple several times as well. They knew the subways better than Rick and Kathy but their expertise was limited to the A C E line between Port Authority (where they caught the bus to the airport) and the Christopher Street stop (where their daughter had lived for several years before moving in with Rick and Kathy's son). If today was going to be a success all four of them would have to be on their A game.

It was decided that they should be able to take the 6 train north to Little Italy which they knew was in downtown Manhattan. Yep, that should do the trick. They wiped the muffin crumbs from the subway map, folded it up, chugged their coffee, and hit the streets.

They descended the stairs of the Wall St. station and could hear the train coming. Rick looked at John. John looked at Kathy. Kathy looked at Susan.

There was no fear.

There was no panic.

They knew what they had to do.

All four of them negotiated the turnstile with perfect swipes the first try, a first for the group. They hastily made their way down to the platform to find subways arriving at the station on each side in opposite directions. John and Susan made a step toward the train arriving on the right, heading in the direction they believed to be north. Rick and Kathy made a step toward the train arriving on the left, the side with the sign that said 'downtown' which is where they believed Little Italy was.

A rushed discussion ensued in which both sides made cases for their train.

"I'm pretty sure this way is north. We walked south to get to the subway and we did a 180 when we came down the stairs."

"But this one says downtown. Don't we need to go downtown?"

Meanwhile the trains had stopped and the doors had opened. There were only a few precious seconds before the doors would close again and they'd officially be behind schedule. Susan stepped onto the train on the right. John quickly followed. Kathy looked at her husband. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the words. She stepped onto the train with Susan and John. The thought of standing alone on a subway platform was more than Rick could bear. He made a desperate attempt to join his companions but the doors closed in his face as he hesitated to hold them open.

Bing Bong.

They'd never see Rick again.