The Train (Original)

This was conceived on a train home from Reading Festival 2009.

The Train

Jonathon missed his train to London. There would be no getting to his meeting on time now, but adopting the ‘better late than never’ attitude, he still caught the train arriving exactly sixty minutes later. He was supposed to be staying in the city for staff training over the next three days anyway. Managing to get a ticket on discount, Jonathon stood around the dingy station until the train arrived. He boarded and in a listless manner dropped into the first available seat. An old woman straining to breathe due to her large suitcase immediately produced a seat reservation, he moved two rows in front, to identical seats she had just passed. As the train moved on, Jonathon fidgeted as he worried over walking into his meeting so late, and whether to go at all, although decided he would at least turn up for the three day course. He opened his rucksack and drank heavily from the bottle of whiskey inside. At the next stop a man wearing a black jacket and red jeans sat behind him, loudly chewing gum which suddenly became all Jonathon could focus on. The rhythm of chew, pop, chew, pop became increasingly aggravating and in the seat in front a child began to cry. Jonathon reached for his whiskey.

Jonathon’s mobile phone rang loudly in his pocket; the vibrations along with the gentle shaking of the train became a brief guilty pleasure. Jonathon’s wife was not happy when he told her how late he would be for his meeting and by the time the phone call was over another long drink from the whiskey bottle was needed. As Jonathon pulled himself up he caught sight of the chewing gum man’s face, lax and contentedly moving his jaws up and down in a manner further annoying for Jonathon. His phone buzzed with a text message from his wife. “Jonathon, you had better pull yourself together” He was getting a headache. As he walked down the carriage to the trolley he wondered if there was even any point to going to the meeting at all. He walked past a man pointing his camera at the window attempting to take photos of the wild scenery. Jonathon could have told him he would get nothing but the reflection of his own face in the pictures.

Jonathon sat back down with a pint of beer which he drank within 60 seconds. The roaring of chewing gum popping growing in his ear, now accompanied by a mobile phone walkman turned up too loud. As he took another long drink of whiskey, Jonathon’s bladder pressure became a point of immediate attention. He swayed over to the toilets where he noticed to his great frustration chewing gum man was also heading. The grotty toilet stank of urine and alcohol, although the smell was perhaps lingering around Jonathon now. He took a step outside after finishing and found himself face to face with the youth in the red jeans chewing openly. The young man only made one remark about the smell coming off Jonathon, but it was enough to set his now short fuse off and he promptly punched the gawking youth hard in the mouth. Chewing gum man fell to the floor, but Jonathon did not relent with his fists. He had never experienced such blind rage and was spurred onto the punch the youth in the face again and again. He saw several teeth loosen from the young man’s gums, and felt heavy arms pulling on his.

Jonathon’s eyes opened abruptly. He was being shaken awake by the conductor who told him concernedly that they were at the end of the line, and now in Brighton. Jonathon got off the train and walked into the dark empty station feeling a numb sense of panic and confusion. After several minutes of consideration he walked into the city with a reckless sense of disregard and an idea of cheap whiskey in a cheap bar. Needless to say, Jonathon missed his train back to London.