Destiny

"I'm so sorry to bother you, I couldn't possibly borrow your phone
for a minute, could I? I was sure I packed mine in my bag last night
but I must have left it charging. I'm always doing that. I'm supposed
to be giving a lecture in Sheffield at 9.30 and I'm never going to be
there in time now". This was Dr Johnston, his hair flying frantically
over his bald patch since rummaging in his battered old leather case
full of papers.

"HERE YOU ARE. JUST TREAT HER KINDLY. SHE'S MY NEW BABY, THIS ONE.
BEAUTIFUL ISN'T SHE?" boasted the fellow passenger. He continued in his
overly loud, overly perfected upperclass accent: "NO, NO, NOT LIKE
THAT. FLIP THE SILVER LID UP LIKE THIS. HERE, I'LL DIAL FOR YOU SHALL
I?

As he flipped up the lid he stretched his big hand into the aisle
knocking into the lady who was passing. Mary, a slight, mousey-looking
woman who looked like she hadn't brushed her hair for a week, was
carrying a cup of tea from the buffet car, a few drops of which had
cascaded onto the man's big, hairy hand holding the tiny phone. "Oh,
I'm so sorry", she gabbled nervously, "here, I have some tissues in my
bag somewhere&;#8230;"

"YES WELL, THIS SUIT IS YVES SAINT LAURENT YOU KNOW".

As she moved to open her cheap handbag it looked as if she might spill
the remainder of the cup. He interrupted her:
"DON'T BOTHER. I ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE HANDKERCHIEF FOR EMERGENCIES.
CALM YOURSELF WOMAN". She scuttled back to her seat.

Turning to the peroxide blonde across the aisle from him, the man
continued booming, gesturing towards the side of the carriage:
"HEY, EXCUSE ME, YOU COULDN'T OPEN THE WINDOW COULD YOU?"

"Which one?" asked the peroxide Lucinda lazily, briefly looking up from
her magazine quiz.

"THAT ONE. THE ONE RIGHT ABOVE YOUR HEAD".

"Oh, that one. Oh well I'll try. No, actually, it looks a bit stiff and
I've only just done my nails. Sorry". She looked like breathing might
have been almost too much effort for her.

He was irritated by the twang of Essex in her voice. "OH I'LL DO IT
THEN" , he conceded, "WE DON'T WANT YOU TO RUIN YOUR LOVELY NAILS, DO
WE?"

Mary, who had by now finished her tea, was disturbed to hear him
talking to the other lady like this. She took a deep breath and piped
up in her loudest voice, which was still actually quite
mouse-like:
"I'm sorry to bother you all. But you know, em, if we have, em, got to
all stay on this train together for the next two hours we might as well
try to get along and be nice to each other".

"Good idea" smiled Dr Johnston, "but I'll just keep myself to myself
dear, I have to go over my lecture notes, now if I could just find the
last section to check my references".

"WELL I'M SORRY," boomed the big suit, sarcastically. "I DON'T REALLY
SEE THE POINT IN PLAYING HAPPY FAMILIES. I'M NOT JUST MISSING A HAIRCUT
YOU KNOW? I'M MISSING PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DEAL I'VE CLINCHED THIS
YEAR. MONEY MOST OF YOU PROBABLY WOULD NEVER EVEN DREAM OF. THIS IS A
MEGA BUCKS ONE. THE BUSINESS!"

Mary, ever the pacifier, came out with: "Oh, shall I go and get you a
nice cup of coffee, try to keep your mind off things, you should try to
keep calm".

He still boomed from between his clenched teeth: "COFFEE IS NOT GOING
TO HELP ME. BUSINESS IS WHAT I NEED. THE DEAL IS WHAT I NEED. OH, DON'T
LOOK SO FORLORN WOMAN. OK, RUN ALONG AND GET US ALL A COFFEE IF YOU
WANT TO. MINE'S WHITE WITH TWO SUGARS&;#8230; AND HERE, TAKE THIS"
he said, waving a ?50 note at her. "SORRY, I DON'T SEEM TO HAVE
ANYTHING SMALLER".

There was silence for a minute or two whilst Mary headed to the buffet
car again to collect all their orders. It was Lucinda who spoke
next.

"Hello Mum.. I'm stuck on the train. I can't believe it. I'm gonna be
late for me hair. You know how I'm gonna have it, like, the way. No,
listen to me Mum, like the way Ruby's had hers done. Hers looks really
good. All spirally. An' then I'm gonna knock 'im dead tonight with that
silver sequiny top - yeah, you know the one, the one I borrowed off
Kylie.. Anyway, gotta go now. I think the guard might tell us what's
going on soon. See you Saturday. Yeah, yeah Mum. Bye for now".

Mary returned and approached Lucinda "Oh I'm sorry to interrupt, I
brought you a tea, that's right isn't it. Is that too much milk? Oh,
I'm sorry, I'll take that one then".

The big suit couldn't keep quiet for long. He boomed once more.
"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO THEY THINK THEY'RE PLANNING AT? I'M GOING TO GET
THIS SORTED IF NO-ONE ELSE WILL. HANG ON A MINUTE.." He reached for his
mobile.

"HEY CINDY, I WANT YOU TO FAX BOBBY WHISTLER. YOU'VE GOT HIS NUMBER.
WELL IF YOU HAVEN'T IT'S IN MY LEATHER FILOFAX. FAX HIM URGENTLY. MARK
IT URGENT. TELL HIM TO SORT OUT THIS MESS WITH THE TRAINS. WAIT, THIS
IS HIS NEW MOBILE NUMBER. CALL HIM, MAKE SURE HE'S GOT ALL THE DETAILS,
MAKE SURE HE SORTS IT OUT. I'VE GOT TO BE IN SHEFFIELD BY 10.45 OR WE
LOSE THE DEAL."

Lucinda, sipping her tea whilst admiring the colour of her nail
varnish, had grown a bit bored of her magazine and decided to be a bit
more sociable&;#8230;
"Would anybody here like a marshmallow? I've got mini chocolate
mallows. They're really nice. Always 'ave me comfort food me".

"OH, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS" boomed the suit, the mention of
marshmallows being the final straw. He got up, strode towards the
carriage doors and forced them open with his strong hands. Everyone
stared mouth-open as he jumped down onto the tracks, setting off the
security alarm.

"BYE BYE YOU LOSERS!" he waved. "YOU CAN WAIT THERE ALL DAY. I'M OFF!"
And with that he stepped back onto a live wire of the track. They
watched as his body turned to jelly and from blue to red with his
screams piercing the air. At the end of the screaming, his body almost
lifeless, his voice became small for the first time in years, he looked
back at them and uttered an almost silent "help?" before his suit
crumpled forward in one final spasm.