Sample  Publication date: December 1999
Author: Alison Johnson
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
COPYRIGHT 1999 - 2007, 2008 ALISON JOHNSON
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE
PRINTED IN THE AUSTRALIA
FIRST PRINTING; ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA
© Australian Copyright 1999 - 2007, 2008 Alison Johnson T H E T R A I N By Clara Jones Completed 22 June 1999 For my Mother MERRYLANDS : Dana & Fox "Crash!" "Bang!" "Vrumm Vruumm!" "Oh God, That's done it!" Fox still with his eyes closed slowly made his still asleep hand reach up to his forehead and rub it while the rest of his body achingly screamed out at him not to move or wake up. His body just didn't want to get up. After working for sixteen hours yesterday, the precious 5 hours of sleep that he seemed to of gotten just didn't seem to be enough for him. Plunking his arm down on the bed, his arm only found instead his wife, who, woke up with a start at being hit in the stomach raised herself and looked over at her husband. Dana wondered why life just wasn't fair. Precious little sleep did her husband get and now at 6 am those wonderful Garbo men were making their usual racket, and making you feel guilty on whether or not you remembered to put out your bin, and in the correct way. Why should one care at this time of the morning? She tossed her shouldered length tangled ginger mess of hair to one side and plopped a kiss on her husbands lips. "You want coffee?" "How about another year in bed?" Came his reply. With a small cheeky but wary grin on her small lips she replied "News agency still hasn't given you those winning lotto numbers yet huh?" and with that she got out of bed and waddled into the ensuite and splashed cold water on her face. She looked at her self in the mirror as she put her dressing gown on and peered even harder at her aging skin which even at her thirty years should of looked better but for her morning blues and the extra five pounds she was carrying. Waddling now with her slippers on she got herself into the kitchen and turned the kettle on, wandered to the fridge and thought about breakfast. She could hear the shower being turned on and watched the steam coming down the hallway as she got out her 'So Good' and his full cream and started on cereals and toast. Just as she finished stirring her husbands coffee she heard him coming down the hall and into the kitchen and as she turned and saw him in only his 'Bonds' top and undies she looked at the man with compassionate eyes. Only one year her elder, he looked almost thirty-five if it wasn't for his cute boyish looks. His six foot drooped a bit from fatigue and she wondered how long they could keep on doing this. His small office of real estate agents was his baby from the beginning but with one woman already on maternity leave and another guy off from being sick with Hepatitis, he was very short staffed and they had too much work on what with all the mortgage rates going down, people were selling and selling left, right and centre. He had to go into the city today to check out a large floor of offices that were in need of renting out which would take all of his morning. His actual office was in Chatswood but he didn't mind the idea of actually going into the CBD for his work. He had promised though to get in a partner into the business but hadn't found anyone suitable as of yet, but Dana certainly hoped that he would find someone soon, so that she could at least spend an evening with him without him either doing paper work or just falling asleep. It amazed her that she was pregnant considering how little sex they had over the last two years. They sat down at the dining table and ate their breakfast with Dana trying to make a little conversation before the silence began to get her down. Fox looking over at his wife wondered how on earth she managed to put up with him so long working like he had. She had the patience of a saint. He put a hand on her swelling belly and wondered what his child would be. They decided to wait and see, so they had bought things that were unisexed in colour and with only a couple of weeks to go he hoped that he could at least be their for his child's birth, instead of being on the other side of town and not making it to the hospital in time. God he just had to get some help with work. If only he could find a person with enough skills he would be right. Yeah, if only, he thought. Dana made their bed as Fox got dressed and ready for work. It was a nice warm late spring morning so he just put on one of his light suits and threw his coat on over them to protect him from any sudden chilly winds that always arose while waiting at the platform for his train. He chucked in a lucazade and an apple in his briefcase and with a quick hug and kiss he walked to his car only to find as usual he forgot something. His keys. He raced back up to his porch only to find his wife standing in the doorway waving his keys in front of his face. He put on a grin and gave her another quick kiss, but this time on the lips and said "What would I do without you?" Dana smiled back with one of her slightly cheeky grins. "Shouldn't you be worried about what I would do without you?" Fox grinned and mouthed the words 'I love you' and turned and left for his car. "I love you back" she thought and closed the door behind her. Smiling again wearily to herself she ran her hand over her tummy and said to her child "You had better come out at the right time or else." But she spoke too late. A sudden pain shot straight up her abdomen and she buckled to the floor gasping for breath. She thought about calling for Fox but he had already driven away as she could hear his car chugging down the road. So just managing to make it to the phone, she hit the speed dial number of triple 0 only to find herself unable to call for help as the operator on the other end kept saying hello, is everything all right, Oh God she hoped so as she felt blood beginning to run down her leg, God, she prayed, let everything be all right. Fox, just managing to get a parking spot to not too far from the station, grabbed his briefcase and remembering his keys too, he set off for the station. Walking a little more quickly than normal thinking he was going to be late, he dashed up the ramp only to hear the announcement that his train was going to be late. Bothering to buy a Telegraph this time, he stood on the platform grumbling to himself how typical it was that the trains were always late as he flipped through the pages to find the funnies. View a Synopsis of This Work | Order This Work | 
