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”What a nice view...wait, isn't that the bridge that Uncle Bill jumped off last year?”
The photo suggested the following story to me (continued from yesterday) : -
David looked around the room as he waited for the old lady to return with coffee. The furniture was old but well kept, original paintings hang on the wall each illuminated by its own light. The room itself was lit by four matching table lamps. He was struck by the number of books in the room, on shelves on tables. He loved books, he knew he would like the old lady.
She shuffled back into the room carrying a tray with cups, saucers spoons, cream, sugar and a large pot of coffee. After she had poured out the coffee, she questioned him about his meeting with Elaine. After he had told her about his encounter and her request for him to help her. She saw a tear appear in the corner of her right eye.
“You might never find out how, but my dear you’ve been very lucky.”
“What’s happened, where’s Elaine?”
“Elaine died seventeen years ago. She was killed in a train crash. It was the same express train you took today. It was derailed when it collided with a truck at a crossing, seven people were killed, Elaine was my only child, she was one of them”.
He stared uncomprehendingly at the old woman.
“I don’t understand, I met the girl in that photograph this morning”.
She smiled. “Your not the first one who has visited this house expecting to meet Elaine, there have been six others previously”. “All I can tell you is, and I have no evidence, is she intervened for a purpose to delay your journey home”.
He sat talking with the old woman. She seemed genuinely interested as he related his journey around Europe, and the minor adventures he had had. He judiciously avoided giving an account of his more amorous encounters. It was the chiming of the ornamental clock that reminded him of the time, and he had a flight to catch. At the front door he thanked her for her hospitality, and promised to keep in touch. She smiled, the others had said the same think, but she had never heard from them again.
To him he seemed to wait for ever for a bus to take him back to the city centre. It had started to rain again and there was nowhere to shelter. Finally the bus arrived. He climbed aboard, but has the bus drove off he realised he had left his bag in the old woman’s house. Turning quickly he jumped off the bus. Under those conditions there was no way the motorcyclist following the bus could have braked in time.
The old lady picked up the strangers bag and carried it upstairs, she opened the door of her daughter’s bedroom and placed the bag with the others. She smiled, it was nice for Elaine to have friends.
”What a nice view...wait, isn't that the bridge that Uncle Bill jumped off last year?”
The photo suggested the following story to me (continued from yesterday) : -
When the train had finally stopped, she stood up and looked at him,
“You’ve been staring at me”.
“Yes, sorry . . . Very rude, sorry”.
“It doesn’t matter.
Will you help me?”
“Sure, help with the luggage . . .?”. He looked, but unlike the other passengers she had no bags.
“No, not that, something else”.
“Sure, what?”
“Let’s go for a coffee and I’ll tell you”.
He pull his bag down from the rack and followed her out of the train and into a café in the station concourse.
“Coffee?”.
“No, tea please”.
She returned to the table with two cups.
“What do you want?”
“Not here, can you meet at this address?” Handing him a slip of paper.
“I’m due to catch a flight to London at 07.0pm.”
“Ho, I thought you said you’d help”.
“Yes, No problem I’ll change my flight. By the way, I‘m David”
“Hi. I’m Elaine, I‘ll see you at 8”.
With that she got up and left. He sat there with half a cup of cold tea trying to workout what had happened. Had he agreed to cancel his flight home to meet a total stranger, had he gone mad? “What on earth was that all about“?
Looking around the station and saw a travel agency where he changed to the last flight that evening. He didn’t know how he knew, but he just did, that whatever she wanted him to do would be accomplished in time to catch the flight. He left his bag in the left luggage office and spent the afternoon idly walking around the centre of the city. After eating a snack he collected his bag and made his way to the bus station. Finally he found the correct bus to take him to Elaine’s home.
It was raining by the time the bus got to his destination, he pulled the anorak hood up over his head as he stepped off the bus. It was a tree lined street, the street lamps reflected in pools of water. A young man passed. “Excuse me number 56?”. The man nodded across the road. He hitched the bag on his shoulder and walked across the road. Number 56 was a well kept two story town house, a slit of light immerged between the drawn curtains of a ground floor room.
He climbed the two steps and rang the front door bell. After a few moments he heard shuffling feet coming towards the door. It was opened by a grey haired stooping old woman. She looked puzzlingly at him.
“Good evening Madam, is Elaine at home“?
“Elaine”?
“Yes, she asked me to meet her at 8pm“
“Are you sure it was Elaine?”
“That’s what she told me”
“You better come in from the rain”.
He followed her down a hall and into a warm elegantly furnished lounge. The first thing he noticed was a photo of Elaine on a side table. At least he knew he was in the right house.
“When did you see Elaine?”
“We travelled on the same train this morning”
“I think you’d better put down your bag, and sit”
(To be continued tomorrow - Bookmark this page)
The World doesn't need you or anyone else to manipulate and organise it. It runs quite well by itself!