THEN THE PHONE LINE WENT OUT

THEN THE PHONE LINE WENT OUT

“Okay , then we can count that you will be here for dinner time” Alexia said. “ Yes, I really think so” Daisy confirmed. “Ah, listen, do you want us to pick you up at the station when you arrive?” Alexia asked, but there was no answer . Alexia now could only hear a light rustling from her phone, whose line had gone out. It was a mobile phone, so she thought it was a lack of coverage ( a lack of range), as it often happened with the mobile phones.  So she waited for Daisy to call her again. Then, since her friend did not call, she was the one who called her. But nothing to do, it seemed that her cell phone had gone haywire. Oh, but Daisy had surely to have her laptop with her , Alexia thought, so she  could send her friend an email, as she hurried to do. But she waited in vain for an answer. Damnation, since Daisy had said her that she would get off the train ( would arrive by train) around seven P.M. , but she hadn’t said which station she would get off at, and there were three train stations in that city. “ I really don’t think you have to worry” Her daughter Matilda said to Alexia, who was almost upset. “ Daisy knows our address, then she can take a taxi from the station”   “ Mom, do you want me to go , maybe, at the Central station, looking for Daisy?” Paul asked, as always more willing than Matilda to support her, even to please her. “ Ah, listen, my dears , let’s do this: I will go to the Central station, while you two will keep an eye on the trains arriving in The large door station and in the Seven steps station.” Paul immediately accepted his mother proposal, while Matilda was rather reluctant, she said that she did not feel like to go to wait for Daisy , for her arrival….oh, she hardly knew Daisy, she had only seen her once at a party. But at the end Matilda said that, yes, she would go and see if Daisy had got off  at the Seven steps station.

When Alexia arrived at the Central station, she learned that the train coming from Cremona, on which Daisy was supposed to be, had derailed at a railway exchange. It was a serious accident, there had been dead and wounded. Alexia hoped with all her heart that Daisy hadn’t taken that train, that she had got on another one. Meanwhile Paul, who had gone to The large door station, had also heard of the accident of the train coming from Cremona. He, shaking his head in desolation, was leaving the station  when he felt firmly grabbed  by the arm- That hand with tapered fingers, with long red enameled nails___and numerous sparking rings on its fingers____rather than grabbing, it was squeezing his arm like a vise.  As soon as Paul put his eyes on that hand, an excited voice said, indeed shouted:” Paul! Oh Paul! But you’re Paul, Alexia’s son, aren’t you?” Paul turned and a woman was standing there, in front of him. The woman was elegantly dressed, with an impeccable hairdo and a very clever make-up, Although visibly agitated, she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman. But she was a perfect stranger to him. Paul was sure he had never seen her before. “ I’m Daisy, Paul!”  That woman exclaimed, stretching her arms to embrace him.

Matilda, on the other hand , did not learn of the train accident. So she remained calmly, waiting for Daisy to arrive, at the Seven steps station. It was a secondary station , there were few people and even the trains rarely stopped. She was going up and down along the deserted platform of the track on which she believed the train that Daisy had taken, would arrive at any moment when she  felt a hand grab her shoulder with a great energy, very firmly. Matilda reeled, being afraid of falling  on the track where, just as soon as she had fallen, her body lying long stretched out, a train would have arrived at great speed and she, lying on the track, unable to get up and to escape, would have remained, immobilized, with eyes wide open, to look at the black snout of the train which was more and more approaching…..And perhaps she would die of fear before being crushed by the train . “ Oh, what ways are these?” She protested, almost angry. “ I’m sorry, my dear, oh, excuse me, please….I have to apologize ….but when I saw you I couldn’t hold back …..I grabbed you, since It took me   the fear that you would go away, indeed that you would disappear, ah “ The woman, but it would be more right to say the person who was talking to her was tall and bony. Her face too was great and bony. Sure, she, that one wore woman’s clothes, with a knee length skirt which left two cyclist calves uncovered. She sported even a very pretty and feminine little hat with a veil, And yet….that person made to her think more of a man in woman’s clothes, than of a woman. “ Oh, Matilda, but show up, let me see you…..Oh, how much you have grown! And how well too you have grown! You know, when I saw you, you looked like and you didn0t look like you….Ah, I was afraid of not being able to recognize you….Oh. how many years passed since ( from) then , when I saw you at the party for Clorinda’s Baptism, do you remember? Eh, then you was a little more than a child, and now, but look! you’re a woman! Ah, dear, but I see you are perplexed…. I bet you don’t recognize me!  I’m Daisy, and yes , I’m going your home…Ah, thank you  for coming to pick me up ( at the station). Oh, I cannot wait to see Alexia!  How is my great friend? She is fine, isn’t she?“  “ Oh, my God, and who is this?” Matilda kept wondering disoriented, almost worried. She didn’t remember, even if she had seen her only once, many years ago, that her mom’s friend looked so masculine. Yes, Matilda remembered that when her mother had talked about her it often happened that she mentioned, but jokingly, the masculine features of Daisy. However, even the photos in which she had happened to see her, as well as that one time she had met her in person, she did not remember that Daisy had ever given her the impression that the person ( woman) who now stood in front of her gave her: that of a man wearing woman’s clothes. However, if that person ( woman) claimed to be Daisy, Matilda had nothing to do but to take her home. By the time they got home, Paul had already arrived , in the company of the beautiful woman he had met at The large door station and who too claimed to be her mother’s friend. The two alleged Daisy, as soon as they were facing each other, burst out laughing. It was evident that neither of them was Daisy.   The real Daisy, whose arrival Alexia was impatiently awaiting had died in the derailment of the train she was traveling on.

 THEN THE PHONE LINE WENT OUT

“Okay , then we can count that you will be here for dinner time” Alexia said. “ Yes, I really think so” Daisy confirmed. “Ah, listen, do you want us to pick you up at the station when you arrive?” Alexia asked, but there was no answer . Alexia now could only hear a light rustling from her phone, whose line had gone out. It was a mobile phone, so she thought it was a lack of coverage ( a lack of range), as it often happened with the mobile phones.  So she waited for Daisy to call her again. Then, since her friend did not call, she was the one who called her. But nothing to do, it seemed that her cell phone had gone haywire. Oh, but Daisy had surely to have her laptop with her , Alexia thought, so she  could send her friend an email, as she hurried to do. But she waited in vain for an answer. Damnation, since Daisy had said her that she would get off the train ( would arrive by train) around seven P.M. , but she hadn’t said which station she would get off at, and there were three train stations in that city. “ I really don’t think you have to worry” Her daughter Matilda said to Alexia, who was almost upset. “ Daisy knows our address, then she can take a taxi from the station”   “ Mom, do you want me to go , maybe, at the Central station, looking for Daisy?” Paul asked, as always more willing than Matilda to support her, even to please her. “ Ah, listen, my dears , let’s do this: I will go to the Central station, while you two will keep an eye on the trains arriving in The large door station and in the Seven steps station.” Paul immediately accepted his mother proposal, while Matilda was rather reluctant, she said that she did not feel like to go to wait for Daisy , for her arrival….oh, she hardly knew Daisy, she had only seen her once at a party. But at the end Matilda said that, yes, she would go and see if Daisy had got off  at the Seven steps station.

When Alexia arrived at the Central station, she learned that the train coming from Cremona, on which Daisy was supposed to be, had derailed at a railway exchange. It was a serious accident, there had been dead and wounded. Alexia hoped with all her heart that Daisy hadn’t taken that train, that she had got on another one. Meanwhile Paul, who had gone to The large door station, had also heard of the accident of the train coming from Cremona. He, shaking his head in desolation, was leaving the station  when he felt firmly grabbed  by the arm- That hand with tapered fingers, with long red enameled nails___and numerous sparking rings on its fingers____rather than grabbing, it was squeezing his arm like a vise.  As soon as Paul put his eyes on that hand, an excited voice said, indeed shouted:” Paul! Oh Paul! But you’re Paul, Alexia’s son, aren’t you?” Paul turned and a woman was standing there, in front of him. The woman was elegantly dressed, with an impeccable hairdo and a very clever make-up, Although visibly agitated, she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman. But she was a perfect stranger to him. Paul was sure he had never seen her before. “ I’m Daisy, Paul!”  That woman exclaimed, stretching her arms to embrace him.

Matilda, on the other hand , did not learn of the train accident. So she remained calmly, waiting for Daisy to arrive, at the Seven steps station. It was a secondary station , there were few people and even the trains rarely stopped. She was going up and down along the deserted platform of the track on which she believed the train that Daisy had taken, would arrive at any moment when she  felt a hand grab her shoulder with a great energy, very firmly. Matilda reeled, being afraid of falling  on the track where, just as soon as she had fallen, her body lying long stretched out, a train would have arrived at great speed and she, lying on the track, unable to get up and to escape, would have remained, immobilized, with eyes wide open, to look at the black snout of the train which was more and more approaching…..And perhaps she would die of fear before being crushed by the train . “ Oh, what ways are these?” She protested, almost angry. “ I’m sorry, my dear, oh, excuse me, please….I have to apologize ….but when I saw you I couldn’t hold back …..I grabbed you, since It took me   the fear that you would go away, indeed that you would disappear, ah “ The woman, but it would be more right to say the person who was talking to her was tall and bony. Her face too was great and bony. Sure, she, that one wore woman’s clothes, with a knee length skirt which left two cyclist calves uncovered. She sported even a very pretty and feminine little hat with a veil, And yet….that person made to her think more of a man in woman’s clothes, than of a woman. “ Oh, Matilda, but show up, let me see you…..Oh, how much you have grown! And how well too you have grown! You know, when I saw you, you looked like and you didn0t look like you….Ah, I was afraid of not being able to recognize you….Oh. how many years passed since ( from) then , when I saw you at the party for Clorinda’s Baptism, do you remember? Eh, then you was a little more than a child, and now, but look! you’re a woman! Ah, dear, but I see you are perplexed…. I bet you don’t recognize me!  I’m Daisy, and yes , I’m going your home…Ah, thank you  for coming to pick me up ( at the station). Oh, I cannot wait to see Alexia!  How is my great friend? She is fine, isn’t she?“  “ Oh, my God, and who is this?” Matilda kept wondering disoriented, almost worried. She didn’t remember, even if she had seen her only once, many years ago, that her mom’s friend looked so masculine. Yes, Matilda remembered that when her mother had talked about her it often happened that she mentioned, but jokingly, the masculine features of Daisy. However, even the photos in which she had happened to see her, as well as that one time she had met her in person, she did not remember that Daisy had ever given her the impression that the person ( woman) who now stood in front of her gave her: that of a man wearing woman’s clothes. However, if that person ( woman) claimed to be Daisy, Matilda had nothing to do but to take her home. By the time they got home, Paul had already arrived , in the company of the beautiful woman he had met at The large door station and who too claimed to be her mother’s friend. The two alleged Daisy, as soon as they were facing each other, burst out laughing. It was evident that neither of them was Daisy.   The real Daisy, whose arrival Alexia was impatiently awaiting had died in the derailment of the train she was traveling on.