The journey home

Jenny looked at her watch. Just made it. She’d been lucky to make it onto the train. With the weather the way it was this November evening, meant there were plenty of others in the same position as her, trying to make their way out of London on the 5.05 train to Birmingham. Dark already, it had been a hell of a miserable day. The wind was already mounting and had several times turned her umbrella inside out on the way to the station. She had left it in the nearest rubbish bin, resolving to buy another as soon as possible. Now darkness had fallen and a fog was settling in, making visibility almost impossible. She was longing for home.

Squeezing onto the end carriage at the last minute, meant it was standing room only and Jenny knew that meant her.  She surveyed her surroundings – the fog outside was matched by the mist on the train windows. Condensation was already dripping down the glass and made the outside even more invisible. Jenny turned her gaze to the passengers, weighing up the competition for seats. Old Doris in the corner wasn’t giving up her seat for anyone. She’d already got her Mills and Boon out, ready to escape into someone else’s romance. Besides that, she was happy to be classed a pensioner if it meant getting the corner seat. Stan next to her, after a busy day on the construction site, had his head on his chest and was snuffling away before the train had even left the platform. He wasn’t waking up until they reached Birmingham. He knew it was safe to start sleeping now. He was dead to the world, counting bricks instead of sheep in his own slumber. Numerous others played on mobile phones, avoiding the eyes of those around in case someone else was in more need than they were. Jenny realised, with a sigh, she was in for the long haul. It was going to be a case of shifting positions for the next hour to stay comfortable. If only she’d worn her flats instead of her best stilettos. But today she’d been out to impress and time would tell if she’d won the prize or not. 

After 30 years of trying her best to succeed in the business, she had almost given up hopes of promotion and/or any romantic life outside of her rather attractive 3 bedroom, semi-detached house in the affordable suburb of Kings Norton. She would be going home to a snug radiator and a tv dinner again, with the company of Blake, her long-term feline companion. However, recently her hopes had been lifted by the arrival at the office of a new accountant – the mysterious John Edgington. Arriving from nowhere, Jenny had not been able to find out much yet about his cv or his personal life, but he was attractive enough for her to pin her heart on his sleeve and make him her new goal in life. The stilettos and tight skirt were for his benefit and it was of him that Jenny began to daydream as the train shuffled out of the station. Within 5 minutes, she had designed her wedding dress and the sexes of her future babies. At least it would help to pass the time, she reasoned.

A few carriages along, the not-so-mysterious John Edgington was also standing, umbrella and briefcase in one hand, the day’s free newspaper in the other. Unlike Jenny, John was not given to daydreaming and the hours journey was going to be given to reading up on local news in the capital city. He stood straight, not interested in the people around him, nor in any available seat, the lack of which was only mildly annoying. He had been sitting down all day, so standing was not a problem. Before he began to open the paper, he made himself as comfortable as possible in his upright position and gave a quick thought to the young girl at his new office who was obviously throwing herself at him. He could not help to have noticed the tight skirt, the see through blouse, showing off all of her Victoria’s secrets. What was on offer was not so secret after today’s outfit. It was not unusual for him to have noticed - he was after all a man, even if he was an accountant. It was almost an embarrassment to see how she followed him, offering him coffee from the machine, finding excuses to pass his work station at every opportunity and chat about anything or everything while John patiently tried to balance his sheets. John didn’t know whether to play her along, get more involved with her or snub her completely. It wasn’t a choice he was going to make now. The newspaper was far more interesting.

At the front of the train, the driver Gary Brookes was settling down into automatic mode. The train was picking up speed as it left the edges of London and the routine took over. Although he could hardly see a thing in front of him, he knew the route, the track was reported good and it was a straight run to the end of the line for him and a relaxing evening at home with his mother. Yes, he still lived at home but he was not ashamed of that. At 45, he had a good life and everything he could need, with the luxury of being waited on at all hours of the day by his devoted mother. He even took a few hours off sometimes to visit the local pub and down a few pints with his old school friends, many of them married now but quite a few secretly envious of his still single status. He was free to use Tinder or not; he was still mildly interesting to the opposite sex although to be honest, he was not that interested in them. Sex did not cross his mind much and never had, which might be the reason he was still happily alone. Mother did not impose conditions as other women might.

Gary looked out at the murky night. Leaves were swirling around in the 50mph wind. He supposed it was the beginning of storm Rodney coming in from the Caribbean. But he’d seen these conditions before and was not worried. He knew the train was packed and he felt some responsibility for those in his care, though in reality, there was little he could do for them once the train was in motion. He could see from the internal cctv cameras that it was a sardine can journey tonight. Packed in to the edges. He felt extremely glad to have his own comfy seat and warm heating. He eased back and watched the tracks fly by, occasionally looking at the monitors in front of him.

That’s when he saw it – too late to do anything about it because of the fog. In slow motion, a tree, bending over in the wind, cracked and came crashing down onto the track, just 100 metres ahead of him.

In the front seat, Gary thought of his mother, cooking his dinner.

In the second carriage, John thought of his wife and children, waiting for daddy to come home.

In the fourth carriage, Jenny thought of Blake, expecting his Kit-e-Kat…..

In a parallel universe, Jenny opened her eyes, to find herself alone in the carriage, lying on the floor. She didn’t seem to be hurt and didn’t ache. She was aware the carriage was full of sunshine which seemed a little strange though she could not think why. In a dream-like state, she didn’t even think to wonder where everyone else was. It seemed natural to stand up and make for the door. It was open as were all the doors and windows.

What she was confronted with, was a view like nothing she had ever seen before in any travel magazine or Instagram advert. Mountains reached high up into a clear blue sky, topped with icing sugar snow and huge waterfalls fell from rocky cliffs into crystal clear pools below. Grassy meadows, full of bright, flowers of all shades and hues scattered across the valley floor. From somewhere, she could hear the sound of children laughing and music playing. It was enticing, tempting and seemed an opportunity not to miss.

Blake was forgotten, John was a nonentity.

Jenny stepped out of the quickly disappearing train.