Rosie's Lament

Rosie's Lament

"I saw Rosie today. I didn't recognize her at first because she's dyed
her hair blonde and was wearing a pair of print Capri pants. Anyway we
stood in the middle of the high street passing the time of day and then
she said,
'Got time for a coffee, its difficult to talk properly here.'
So we went into the Copper Kettle and after we had ordered, she dropped
her bombshell.
'I'd rather you heard this from me than through gossip but the thing is
Harry and I have split up.'
"But you two always seemed so happy," I exclaimed, before adding the
time honoured clich?, "is there someone else?"
Rosie looked appalled.
'Good heavens no' she replied, 'I could cope with that. I know people
have always said how lucky I was because Harry never went to the pub.
He was always very good with the children as well. When they were young
he would keep them amused for hours with the model railways he built
for them in the spare room. Then most weekends he would take us all on
an excursion with the railways enthusiasts club he joined. I didn't
mind in those days because it was an ideal sort of family thing which
we could all do together. Then as the kids grew older they developed
their own interests. Danny got into computers and Cheryl joined a
gymnasts club. They still pretended to be interested for their dad's
sake, they didn't want to hurt his feelings. Anyways when they both
went off to university I thought it was time to put the model railway
away. I thought this was going to be our time, to do the things we
wanted to do. I'd had enough of standing around on draughty station
platforms and hanging about in muddy fields waiting to photograph steam
engines as they passed. I never knew the difference between a King
class and a Castle anyway. Nasty smelly things that leave soot all over
your clothes, give me a diesel any day. I wanted to jet off to the sun
and spend my holidays lazing on the beach like other people,"
I nodded sympathetically, I could see her point".
'Anyway Harry would have none of that. He extended the model railway to
the garden. He laid a proper gravel track bed and before I knew it
there were trains careering around the lily pond and dodging in and out
of the rose bushes.

'It was about this time that my Aunt died and left me her flat. I
thought about selling it but for some reason I hesitated. Well as it
turned out that was just as well because next Harry started extending
the railway all around the house. He knocked holes through the walls;
tunnels he called them ; so that the trains could go from room to room.
He even included the kitchen which I'd always considered my domain. The
final straw came when I was getting a casserole out the oven. One of
his damned trains came hurtling across the floor towards me. I was so
startled I jumped and the casserole went all over the place. I screamed
and raged at Harry and I told him straight that either the trains went
or I did.'
"Strewth, what did he say to that", I asked spellbound.
He just looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face and then he
asked if that meant I wouldn't be going with him on the excursion to
the York Railway Museum on Sunday. So I flung a few belongings into a
suitcase and stormed out of the house. I did look back as I drove away
and I can still see him standing there clutching his toy engine.'