How swiping a Metrocard takes you to the past

Strange how simply swiping a Metrocard has transported me back into time. The other week I swiped into the 14th Street A line at 8th Avenue in lower Manhattan. As I am walking down the platform I feel someone's eyes on me. I look up and see a familiar face that I haven't seen in a long time. A handsome familiar face at that. As I walked in his direction he never took his eyes off me. He looked at me with the that same intensity that used to intimidate me when we worked together. He told me back then that he dug me...called me a queen. But, he scared me. He was intense, passionate -- real as a mother. I couldn't deal with that...it was overwhelming, just as his gaze as it stayed on me trudging along the platform with my bags. Yet, that same look was in his eyes. He didn't look at me the way I expected him to. It was a Friday and I had worked a full week. I was tired, raggedy and definitely not in the same shape as when he first laid eyes on me. Yet, he still looked at me with that same hunger...and it still scared me. He's since gotten married, filled out and cut his head of dark curly hair. As fine as he was back then he looked even better. He'd gotten married, moved from Brooklyn and was doing the responsible thing. It was so him. But I couldn't forget the look in his eyes and how it still dug so deeply into me. You haunt me with that intensity.

Fast forward, a few weeks later...swipe into the same station - check - bags - check - Friday - check and I see another familiar face walking down the platform. But this is a face that looks like a ghost because it has been that long since I have seen it. I try to place this face...I scan my brain like a computer but can't lock in an exact location for this file. He sees me searching his face for clues. He comes over and tells me that my face looks so familiar. I tell him his does too. He asks my name, I tell him. He says his name is Mel. Yes! That is indeed the name that matches that face...but where from? He runs off some names but none an exact match. My mind tells me California...I search my memory bank...California seems right. Was it high school? But I never see any Cali folks in New York...randomly...on the train on a Friday evening. I am pretty sure this Mel is from California...his accent, is cadence...his freedom...he feels Cali....the A train rolls into the station. I move towards the platform edge...he moves toward the stairs. We are both left searching for the exact place of that face. Mel...where do I know you from Mel? It was good to see your face again. Hope to see you around again.