Train

She was in command.

Two captives opposite.

‘The train is busy this morning I’m so surprised given Covid but at least everyone is wearing a mask I was in Edinburgh during the festival and the train into the city was fine but the one coming back was packed there were two people sitting opposite me no masks they worked for North Lanarkshire health board you could hear every word of their conversation holding their phones up and taking selfies girls night out they said Covid Express or what I thought do you travel much by train I so enjoy it lots to see and people to speak to.’

‘Now and again’, said the man. ‘We are just doing some sightseeing.’

‘That’s not a Scottish accent let me guess let me guess Devon way I would say or Cornwall I love Cornwall I met my first husband there can you believe it he was in the seat next to me at a performance of the Pirates of Penzance in Penzance of all places it was a dreadful production and we slipped out for a drink at the break and never came back he was a teacher in a local secondary school we moved to Plymouth for a few years he taught French then we set up home in Newquay he went out surfing one day he loved the sea he was a great swimmer and he never came back they found his board much later but no sign of him such a tragedy but life moves on time is a great healer I went to live in York after that.’

‘York is a lovely city’, said the other man. ‘We got married there, although we both come from Exeter.’

‘York all those tourists if one more person asked me about the Shambles well I would be in prison by now it was just too much so I upped sticks and moved to Glasgow there was a job in a public relations agency great place to live good job until they went bankrupt one of the partners had been siphoning the profits well they should have guessed given the expensive car he was driving or used to drive they fished him and it out of the River Clyde before the court case  I have been visiting old school friends around the country it can be depressing they look older shorter greyer goodness knows how they see me as for Mary she and I went all the way through school and university together she lives on Romney Marsh in Kent bleak desolate place she and her husband bought a farm house lovely place he was a stockbroker fell of the roof when he was fixing a tv arial broke his neck well at least he went quick an arial of all things I thought it was all satellite dishes and internet connections these days anyway I went down for a few weeks to comfort her not that she needs comforting she introduced me to her old friend Tony who seems to be giving her all the comfort she needs well there’s no fool like and old fool have you been to Kent?’

‘My parents live in Canterbury’, replied the man.

‘I’ve just come back from Peterborough my sister lives there she’s on her third marriage children dotted like flies all over the place landed on her feet this last time her third is a consultant money no object have you ever been to Peterborough I’d read lots of Antony Trollope and it didn’t live up to my expectations anyway pots of money but they are downsizing now that the children have gone so I went to help forty five bags of clothing to the heart shop what a waste and here we are living in a climate crisis I don’t know I think that ……’

I never found out what she thought. I left her and her captives at Slateford station. As the train pulled away I could see her still holding forth to the two strangers.