Water In My Lungs

"Water in My Lungs"
© 2008 Barry Montgomery

Angry random words, overheard in the surreptitious little coffee shop.  Words of no value to me, yet, life altering to the ear of the receiver.  Shock, horror and terror quickly flashed across her face, for a brief instance, then collecting herself, she stored it away, saved her emotions for the privacy of later, for now, she regained her calm and collectiveness.  Trying not to slam her phone down she placed it back onto the table.  Gently she curled her fingers around her cooling coffee, before noticing the tremor.  Releasing her hand, she discreetly placed it in her lap, placing her other hand strategically over it, a pathetic attempt to hide her emotion.  A gust of wind blew through the window, cooling the droplets of sweat forming on my perspiring face.    Subtly she glanced around and fixated her deep brown eyes onto mine for a second.  Attempting to avert my eyes, I pretended to focus on tulips in a vase, swaying gently in the breeze, but my cheeks betraying me by blushing.  Attempting again to take the coffee without a tremor, she succeeded and raised it slowly to her lips.  Taking a drink she placed it back on the table, her lipstick had stained the cup, imprinted it, making it her own.  That was until it was washed, when then it would become another's, but for now, it was hers.  Quickly I swallowed the last of my now cold coffee and rose to leave, needing to leave, longing for the 'fresh' air of the smog filled city.  Reached deep into my travel weary trousers I pulled out a handful of loose change and flung it all at the till attendant.  Pulling the door open, the sound of the doorbell rang in my ears and the smell of the fresh tulips, which had scented my nostrils, was replaced with the dirty city air as I exited onto the streets.

Somewhere in the far off distance I heard the sound of a cop car crying out its urgency to get to its destination.  Every wail a useless plea to clear the way.  I could not help but think of the girl back inside.  I wanted to rush back in and comfort her, tell her whatever was wrong could be righted.  I turned around and stared back into the coffee shop, but where she had sat was now vacant, the seat waiting patiently for the next person to sit and rest their weary bones.  I sighed, my backpack sat heavily on my shoulders.  Adjusting it slightly, I continued onwards.  Pulling a map out of one of my pockets I tried to make sense of it, but drops of rain began to fall onto the already fragile and worn paper, so I crumpled it up and placed it back.  My thoughts flickered back to the girl, of her mysterious, inviting, brown eyes when she had glanced in my direction.  Behind them, I thought I had seen almost a plea: "Come help me, save me from the awful mess." they seemed to cry out. 

I wandered up the now deserted street as a blanket of darkness began to swallow up the city streets.  Looking for a somewhere to rest for a while, the train ride here having been somewhat shaky, I found myself approaching a desolated train yard.  A rusting chain fence stopped me from entering, lumps of grass grew idly about, rustling gently in the wind.  I noticed an idle tram sitting in a far off corner of the yard and quickly scanning around for signs of a guard.  Jumping the fence, I made my way over, keeping low to the ground.  By now my legs ached, after the brief stop in the coffee shop, they wanted more rest.  Pains shot up through my left foot, protesting against the rest of the body.  "Not far to go now," I promised them, muttering under my breath, "not far."

I gently felt around the door of the tram checking to see if it was locked, it wasn't. Muttering a prayer that it wouldn't complain much when opened, I leant into it and pushed.  The hinges cried out when forced to do the forgotten labour and echoed around the abandoned yard.  I ceased for a second, seeing if anyone would come and investigate.  Counting to ten, I breathed out a sigh of relief and continued to further open it not caring for its complaints.
Once fully opened, a musty unused smell sprung forth from inside, the scurrying of creatures hiding form the unfamiliar light of the setting sun came to my ears, leaving their paw prints in the dust covered floor.  "Say hello to your temporary roomy." I chortled.  Then feeling stupid for talking to rodents, I slung off my backpack and flung it inside. The clouds then decided to burst and rain began falling from the heavens as I pulled myself into the carriage.