In a busy city full of noise and movement, everyone seemed to be in a rush. People walked quickly, spoke quickly and constantly checked their watches or phones. Everyone except one man. His name was Thomas, and he never seemed to be in a hurry.

Thomas was in his early fifties. He had grey hair, wore an old jacket and carried a cloth bag. Every morning, he sat on the same bench outside the train station. He never checked a phone, and he never wore a watch. He simply watched the people around him.

Ben, a 28-year-old office worker, passed the bench every morning at exactly 8:05. He worked in a big glass building that stood nearby. His job was stressful, his boss was strict and there never seemed to be enough time. Every morning, he noticed Thomas sitting on the bench.

One morning, Ben’s train was late, so he sat down beside Thomas. As soon as he sat down, he took out his phone. “You don’t need that,” Thomas said. Ben looked up. “What?” Thomas replied, “You don’t need the phone. Just sit.”

Ben was surprised. “Do I know you?” Thomas smiled. “No, but I see you every morning. You always look tired.” Ben looked at him. “I’m just busy—work, meetings, emails, deadlines…” Thomas nodded slowly. “Yes. You’re always on time, but you’re never really here.”

Ben didn’t know what to say. “I used to be like you,” Thomas continued. “In fact, I used to work in that same building.” Ben turned towards him. “You did?” Thomas nodded. “Yes, for 30 years. I had an important job, important meetings and a lot of stress.” Ben asked, “What happened?” Thomas replied, “I had a heart attack when I was 49—right there in that office, on a Thursday.”

Ben’s expression changed. “Are you all right now?” Thomas replied, “Yes, but after that, I changed everything. I sold my car, stopped wearing a watch and started coming here to watch people.” Ben asked, “Don’t you get bored?” Thomas smiled. “Never. Time is always there. You don’t need to control every minute.”

The train arrived, and Ben stood up. “Thanks, I guess,” he said. Thomas nodded. “You’re welcome. See you tomorrow?” Ben answered, “Maybe.” He went to work, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Thomas.

The following day, Ben arrived five minutes early. Thomas was there, and they talked again. They spoke about small things, such as the weather, music and the people around them. Days passed, and Ben started arriving early every morning just to sit and talk with Thomas.

One morning, Thomas wasn’t there. Ben waited and looked around, but there was no sign of him. For some reason, he felt worried. Thomas didn’t come the next day or the day after that.

Ben asked a shopkeeper near the bench, “Have you seen the man who usually sits here?” The shopkeeper replied, “Thomas? He’s in hospital. He’s having heart problems again.” Ben’s heart sank.

He visited Thomas the following evening. The hospital room was quiet. Thomas looked tired, but he smiled when he saw Ben. “You came,” he whispered. “I had to,” Ben said. “I missed our talks.” Thomas replied, “So did I. But now it’s your turn.” Ben looked confused. “My turn?” Thomas nodded. “Yes. I want you to take my place on the bench. Watch the world, talk to someone and be present.”

Two weeks later, Thomas passed away. After that, Ben came to the bench every morning. He didn’t check his phone or look at the time. He simply sat and watched the people around him.

Some days, people talked to him. Some days, they didn’t. But every day, Ben listened, noticed the world around him and remembered Thomas. For the first time in years, Ben was no longer in a rush.

Vocabolario Chiave

Parola Inglese

• In a Rush

• Stressful

• Deadline

• Heart attack

• No sign of...

• Heart sinks

• Pass away

• Be present

Significato (English)

• Hurrying because there is very little time

• Causing worry or tension

• The latest date something must be finished

• A medical condition where blood flow to the heart is blocked

• Nothing that shows where someone or something is

• A sudden feeling of worry or sadness

• Polite expression of: to die

• To give full attention to the current moment

Traduzione Italiana

• Di fretta

• Stressante

• Scadenza

• Infarto

• Nessuna traccia di

• Sentirsi sprofondare

• Venire a mancare

• Essere presente

Grammatica Utile

Past Simple: raccontare eventi conclusi nel passato

Uso: si usa per raccontare azioni ed eventi conclusi nel passato e per indicare la sequenza principale di una storia.

Struttura:

• Soggetto + verbo al Past Simple

• Verbi regolari: verbo base + -ed

• Verbi irregolari: forma specifica, per esempio stand → stood

Esempi dalla storia:

• “The train arrived, and Ben stood up.”

• “Two weeks later, Thomas passed away.”

Relative clauses with who and that: aggiungere informazioni

Uso: si usano per aggiungere informazioni su una persona o una cosa. Who si riferisce alle persone; that può riferirsi alle cose.

Struttura:

• Persona + who + verbo…

• Cosa + that + verbo…

Esempi dalla storia:

• “Have you seen the man who usually sits here?”

• “He worked in a big glass building that stood nearby.”

Used to: abitudini e situazioni passate

Uso: si usa per parlare di abitudini o situazioni del passato che non sono più vere nel presente.

Struttura:

• Soggetto + used to + verbo base

Esempi dalla storia:

• “I used to be like you.”

• “In fact, I used to work in that same building.”

Domande di Comprensione

Detailed Comprehension

1. When and where does Ben usually see Thomas?

2. Why did Thomas decide to change his life?

3. What does Thomas mean when he says, “You’re always on time, but you’re never really here”?

4. How does Ben discover that Thomas is in hospital?

5. What does Thomas ask Ben to do during their final conversation?

General comprehension (gist)

1. How are Thomas and Ben different at the beginning of the story?

2. How does Thomas’s friendship change Ben’s morning routine?

3. What does Ben do after Thomas passes away?

Reader’s Reflection

1. Can someone be organised and punctual but still not be truly present? Why?

2. What small change could you make to be more present in your daily life?

Soluzioni

Reflection

• Possible answer: Yes. A person can follow a schedule perfectly but remain distracted by work, worries or their phone.

• Possible answer: I could put my phone away during meals or conversations and focus completely on the people around me.

Detailed Comprehension

1. Ben sees Thomas every morning at exactly 8:05, sitting on a bench outside the train station.

2. Thomas changed his life because he had a heart attack when he was 49.

3. Thomas means that Ben follows his schedule but does not pay attention to the present moment or the world around him.

4. After Thomas is absent for several days, Ben asks a nearby shopkeeper. The shopkeeper tells him that Thomas is in hospital with heart problems.

5. Thomas asks Ben to take his place on the bench, watch the world, talk to someone and be present.

General Comprehension

1. Thomas is calm and present, while Ben is busy, stressed and always thinking about work and time.

2. Ben starts arriving early every morning so that he can sit and talk with Thomas.

3. He takes Thomas’s place on the bench, watches the people around him and stops checking his phone and the time.