Inexorable

Word of the Day Tuesday, February 16, 2010

inexorable

\in-EK-sur-uh-bul; in-EKS-ruh-bul\ , adjective;

1. Not to be persuaded or moved by entreaty or prayer; firm; determined; unyielding; unchangeable; inflexible; relentless.


I got on the light rail and as I made my way through the crowded aisles I noticed an unspoken restlessness among the passengers. Uncertain about what was causing the agitation I took my seat and pulled out my pad of paper to jot down my to-do list for when I got home.

"OHHHH! OOOHHHH! OH JESUS!"

I lifted my head up at the sound of the woman yelling half a car down from my seat.

"OOOH GOD! OHHH GOD! AAAHHHHH!"

It was really bizarre. I couldn't tell if this woman was doing a Meg Ryan impersonation, giving birth, in excruciating pain, highly distraught, or was just crazy.

People were not even being discreet about looking towards the back of the train where she was yelling, heads craning all around me to get a better look at what was going on. Since I had just passed her on my way to my seat I felt like everyone was looking to me to roll my eyes or make some sort of comment about what was going on back there. Instead I tucked my head down and continued scribbling at my pad of paper fighting the urge to turn around and gawk.

However, the inexorable moaning from the back of the car was slicing into my thoughts like a cleaver. My pen remained raised above my pad of paper for a good several minutes before I could remember what I was trying to write down.

"AAAAHHHHH! JEESUS! OH GOD! OOOHHHHHHH!"

In between all the yelling and cursing she would either laugh, with an edge of hysteria, or mutter to herself. About the time she shouted out, "A SIGN OF THE DEVIL!" I decided she was just crazy and probably off her meds, and tried to decide if it would be a good idea to get off of the train just in case she were to get really out of control.

Finally I heard her say, "No, I'll be fine thank you," and assumed a fellow passenger had gotten the balls to ask her if she was alright. After this she seemed to quiet down, almost as if she realized she hadn't been doing all of her screaming in her head like she thought she had been doing.

Not surprisingly, when the train pulled up in front of the Kaiser Permenante the screaming started up again, "I'M GETTING OFF HERE! EXCUSE ME! I'M GETTING OFF AT THIS STTOOOOPPP!"

All the heads at my end of the train swiveled around towards the window on the door opening to the platform, everyone waiting with bated breath to catch a glimpse of the crazy woman, barrel-chested with short graying cropped hair, run-walking her way into the out-patient clinic.