There are quite a few couples who commute regularly on the train. They have their routines like anyone else, and when they act as a team it is noticeable. Artie and Pat are one such couple. On any given day I usually meet them on the way home, in the last car headed to Port Jervis. They have their regular seats on the 4:47 out of Hoboken and I join them after we leave Middletown.

Their day starts early at home. Both are up at 2:15 in the morning to make the first train out of Port at 3:50 a.m. This train is known as the contractors’ train because it’s mainly electricians, plumbers, day laborers and other construction types who need to be in by 7 a.m. Artie has a job as a building maintenance worker down by the World Trade Center and Pat works close to his job. Breakfast is at 3 a.m. Pat usually keeps it simple: just yogurt and whole grain cereal. A treat would be scrambled eggs and an English muffin. Pat says, “My eyes are barely open and there is no telling what I could put in the pan, so I keep it simple.” Lunch was made the night before and most dinners are cooked over the weekend and reheated during the week.

When you’re on a tight schedule, as this couple is, you don’t have time in the morning; every second counts. Clothing is laid out the night before. Mornings, Artie unloads the dishwasher and then loads it up again after breakfast and dinner. Like clockwork they are both out of their Milford, PA home at 3:30 a.m. for the 15 minute ride to Port to catch the train with five minutes to spare.

The conductors on that first train out are also forgiving. They will hold the train for up to five minutes and then make up the time on the trip to Hoboken. Since there are so few passengers at this time of the morning, station stops are short. Pat brings her shawl and is first to close her eyes; Artie likes to read the paper before he to closes his eyes for a nap. As they leave the train, Artie always is first down the stairs then offering a helping hand to Pat as she disembarks.

The tattoos on Artie’s arm are accompanied with tales of his days in the Navy; his Brooklyn accent is still very strong even after all these years. Pat is always prim and proper, her hair always in place, and she is first to tell Artie not to be so loud. It brings a smile to a person’s face to watch them interact. Pat always follows up the trip, making sure Artie has everything he brought with him. When Artie had his heart attack, you could see the lost look in Pat’s eyes. Her face always brightens when she speaks of him, which she does when asked. Then came the day that the train doors opened and Artie’s hand was back to help Pat down the stairs. It would be a few more weeks before he was back at work, but he continued their routine. Up for breakfast, driving Pat to the station, waiting for the train to pull out and then his helping hand, there like clockwork at the end of the day.

Watching them leave the train hand in hand as they head to their car in Port, they will always turn and wish me good night. This is a love story for sure.