Magical City.

Having booked a taxi, after my first night stay, I thanked the Concierge and walked outside. Icy fingers ran up my spine as I faced into the freezing wind. It was only 7am so the day hadn’t had time to warm up, but being Melbourne in Winter, it wasn’t likely to get much warmer. The sun was just coming up behind the towers of the city, throwing golden rainbows over the glass windows, looking like something out of a magical kingdom. “ Unfortunately when the sun got a little higher the magic had gone and the glass and steel buildings stood stark against a blue sky with a hazy cover. Again I had to remind myself why I was here. “ I had a Dr. appointment this morning, so seeing that I had spent 5 hours to get here, I had decided to have an extra few days to look around. It wasn’t that I didn’t know this City, after all, I had lived here for the first 18 years of my life. But it looked nothing like it did back then. “ As a teenager I could name every street and knew my way around like a tourist guide, but all that had changed. It was now just a jumble of over-passes, freeways, 4 lane highways and one way streets. The roads were choked with emission gushing cars and trucks, taxis and trams, trains and buses, and the people crushed against each other on the paths, trying not to spill out onto the roadway. “ Don’t get me wrong, I grew up here, I love this place, I would defend it to my last breath, but I can’t live here anymore. I had packed a bag and walked out of my childhood home the day I turned 18, the product of an abusive, wife bashing alcoholic Father and a Catholic Mother who was too scared to leave, and I had never been back. My older sister had been thrown out in the middle of the night at 18, so I wasn’t waiting for that to happen to me. “ Moving to the country was the best thing I had ever done. I now lived in a small rural town where everyone knew your name, and everyone looked after you. I married a local man and settled down to a countrified existence, happy to leave the hustle and bustle of a big city far behind me. “ There were things a small country town couldn’t supply, like Specialists, so that was the reason I was standing in the middle of this mish-mash of humanity, buildings and cars, freezing my butt off waiting for a taxi. Just when I thought I was about to turn into a colourful, frozen ice-block, the taxi pulled up to the front of the Motel. “ “Marie Brown?” “Yes, thanks.” Gratefully jumping into the back of the warm taxi I spoke to the driver. “Could you take me to the new Eye and Ear Hospital please?” “Sure can, how are you going today?” “You looked a little frozen back there.” “Believe me, I am grateful you have a good heater! That wind is icy out there today!” “I’m afraid it isn’t going to get much better, the forecast is for rain this afternoon.” “Great, that’s all I need!” “Are you a local or a visitor?” “I’m originally from South Melbourne, but now I live in Robinvale, just down here to see a Specialist.” “So you know your way around town?” “Not really, it’s changed so much over 40 years, I feel like a stranger now.” “Yes you’re right there, even I find it hard navigating my way around sometimes. You’re lucky it’s so early, the traffic hasn’t really started to get too bad yet.” “ I sat back and took in the sight of the large, new glass towers, some still under construction, trying to vie with others finished not long ago. Each one reaching higher and higher into the atmosphere, as though it was a race to see who could get to Heaven first. “ The chatty driver pulled up at the front of a large glass tower. “Here we are Maam!” I reluctantly jumped out into the freezing wind, after paying the driver and leaving him a tip. I thanked him for being so nice to a home-away-from-home visitor. “ I sat in the waiting room soaking up the warmth for about an hour and a half, before being called in. The Specialist was quite happy with the result and made me another appointment in 6 months time. Thanking him for his time, I pulled my coat up around my ears and headed back out onto the freezing street. It was now raining quite heavily. “ Before leaving the shadow of the building I ransacked my handbag and found a small fold-up umbrella. Anyone who knew Melbourne always carried an umbrella. Guess we weren’t that much different to London, but at least we usually got a nice hot Summer. “ Swearing under my breath, I hopped on the next tram heading for the City centre. Arriving at the Bourke Street Mall, I got off and joined the throng of workers, shoppers and visitors, vying to keep a spot on the footpath. “ I headed into a shopping centre with a cafeteria, shaking the umbrella of it’s droplets and putting it back into it’s plastic cover. I stood in line with a dozen others waiting to be served. Mum’s with baby pushers and toddlers screaming, office workers checking their watches, middle-age men straightening their ties and 30 something’s looking at their phones. “ Having ordered pancakes with maple syrup and a cappuccino, I took a number and headed for a table with a vacant seat. I sat at a table with a middle-age couple after hanging my damp coat over the back of the chair. “ The couple at the table looked a little bit lost. “Are you okay, is there anything I can do to help?” “It’s just that we ordered a pot of tea, and crumpets, about half an hour ago. I think they have lost our order!” It was then I noticed they didn’t have a number. “Hang on a sec.” I said, then raced over to the counter. I explained to the waitress about the couple and she handed me a number and wrote out a new order. “Thank you!” “Glad to help!” The pot of tea and crumpets arrived before my own order, so they were very happy. “ An hour later I walked back outside. It had stopped raining! The sun was trying hard to peek through the smog and clouds, with little rays of sunshine landing on the shiny wet roads and mixing with the oil, creating rainbows around all the cars. I stood there looking up at the shiny glass towers, the glistening green leaves of the trees along the roads, umbrellas of every size, colour and shape still being held up, “in case.” “ “How could anyone not love this beautiful City!” I thought to myself. I spent the next 2 days exploring all the alleys and small boutiques and out of the way places, and had a ball. “ When I arrived home I slumped down in a chair, exhausted by the pursuits of the last 3 days. I told my partner about all I got up to and he looked a little worried. “You’re not thinking about moving to Melbourne are you?” “Of course not! It’s a beautiful place, and also a madhouse. There is no way I could ever live back down there. It’s great for a visit now and then, but it’s a lot better to be able to leave there and come back home!”