Flash Fiction: Lost in Asia

Credit: Mario Heller

Photograph by Mario Heller

Text by Emma Elizabeth Mathes

Photo Editing by Ari Adams

I saw many railroad stations during my study abroad. It was my primary mode of travel. At the beginning, I considered myself an expert on trains and stations. Then came Aralsk. I couldn’t speak Kazakh, or Russian. And I was quickly lost.

I found my way to the ticket office where I stood behind a couple. The wife was speaking rapidly and with great gusto to the person behind the partition. Whoever it was, they were just as fervent in their responses.

But what struck me most was her husband. He stood by her side with quiet dignity. He peered over at me and smiled.

Mario Heller is a Swiss photographer, journalist and photo editor based in Berlin. You can find more of his work on his website and Instagram.