Another Journey
Waverley's thirty-nine steps flew under my feet. The six-ten to London was already on the move. I attacked the nearest carriage door and threw myself aboard. The train was packed with people anxious to escape the heathen north and head south to Christmas. Me, well the south had no real pull for me, since the split with Di, there was no one I particularly wanted to see in Nottingham. My parents had gone to Oz and taken the twins. There was our Sam, of course, but since she'd married into money she had made it very plain that the family and especially me were not welcome. No, as I sat on my bag in the corridor thinking about it, I couldn't help wondering what the hell I was doing here anyway. I might just as well have stayed in the hotel for the holidays.
Quite a few passengers got off at Leeds and thankfully I found a seat.
Across the aisle a young Asian couple were chatting away in broad Yorkshire. They seemed so happy. I still missed Di, but there was no chance. She'd never come back. I decided to look for a drink and made for the refreshment car. The young Asian guy was just getting served.
'Let me get that.' I said
'No, really, it's... '
'Go on. It's Christmas. Good will to all men ' and stuff the women.'
'I'll drink to that.' He laughed.
Apparently he was going to his mother's wedding in London and wasn't looking forward to it at all.
'It won't be that bad,' I said 'look on the bright side: there's usually a good fight at some point, come on, have another.'
He shook his head 'No thanks, really. I've left somebody looking after my rucksack.'
Nottingham came up, far too soon, and I made my way back to collect my bag.
The young couple were chatting together happily as I passed them. I know envy is wrong, but what had I got? And those two had such a wonderful life before them.
The flat was a disaster area. The smell was appalling. I opened the window as far as the suicide bar would allow and started to clean the place up. There was a rap on the door.
My heart skipped a beat. This is not the sort of place where your neighbours make social visits.
'It's Del. From downstairs' The voice belonged to 'Oggie's.' moll. Oggie was the crack-head who lived in the flat below. He'd only spoken two words to me since I moved in and one of those was an expletive.
I slid the bolts back.
'Oh! It's you,' She said 'I thought you were in Scotland.'
'We've finished that job,' I was trying to look past her for any sign of the horrible Oggie 'but I'll soon be off again.'
'Where to, this time?' she'd got a nice smile, pity about the teeth.
'Dunno, we met some Americans in the hotel, they were over with the Mormon Church choir, they invited me to go and stay with them and find work over there, but I don't know.'
'Oh!' she said brightly 'my sister tried to join that lot, when she was in Texas, they were called born again virgins or something,'
'Did she qualify?' I grinned
'No, she was too tall. Anyway I'd better scoot, Oggie'll be back soon '
Late next morning, I rummaged in the freezer and fished out the pack of turkey slices that had lain there since last Christmas or maybe the one before. As I lit the grill there was knock. Del invited me downstairs for dinner. I asked about Oggie, she assured me that he was in a very good mood and in fact it was his idea. So, I followed her down, with the turkey slices as a kind of peace offering. The following 48 hours are just a blank. I remember Oggie handing me a drink and the two snakes ,tattooed on his chest ,beginning to dance and Oggie chasing me, bullock naked, down a mouse hole, then getting stuck and huge purple faced mice nibbling at my toes, but beyond that nothing, not a thing, zilch. When I came round, I was lying fully clothed on my bed and there was a loud hammering on the door. It was Jacko, he'd found us work in Manchester, we'd got to leave pronto. The three months in Manchester passed very quickly, we did a good job and got a good bonus for completing on time. Back in Nottingham, the flats looked as uninviting as ever and I decided to look for something better, now that I'd got a few shillings in the bank.
No sooner had I put the kettle on than Del knocked.
'Can I come in.' She'd been crying.
I poured the tea and we sat at the table, she said that Oggie was out trying to score and she hadn't got long and she was pregnant ' at first I didn't know whether to commiserate or congratulate but then she went hysterical and said Oggie would tear us both to pieces ' naively I said that I was sure once he got used to the idea he'd make an excellent father.
'He's had the fucking snip, years ago!' she sobbed. She looked at me and the penny dropped 'You don't mean.' I started to say.
'Yes at Christmas, can't you remember?'
'All I remember is walking in your front door and Oggie giving me some blue stuff.'
'Well, I'd keep as far away from him as possible, if I were you, you know what he's like ' you saw what he did to the milkman and he'd only hooted at me.'

I'm writing this from half way across the Atlantic.

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