Running Late

[hillwalker]

RUNNING LATE

07:10. Oh my God! I’m already twenty minutes late and our first meeting is somewhere the other side of Chelmsford. I hate that snooze button, I really do.
It’s already gone and cost me my bowl of muesli and a decent coffee. I’ve got no choice now. A couple of swigs of ‘Volvic’ and a cigarette.

I’ll just open this window a touch. Brian will be none the wiser. Just two quick drags to kick-start the neurons.
Ahh! There. That’s done.
Now. Make-up.
Hang on. Better check the traffic news before I set off. Make sure the Dartford Tunnel isn’t shut again like it was last Friday.
Compact….. compact!
How come everything migrates to the bottom of my bag the moment I need it.
Tissues. Hair brush. Oh, so that’s where I left my ‘Gym’ card.
Ok.
And my eye-liner. Got it.

God…..
I can’t stand this ruddy song. Why do they play the same tosh over and over again?
MP3 player. If I can just reach. Yes. Here we are.
Guns ‘n’ Roses. That’s more like it. I should unpack my air guitar and share some riffs with Axl but unfortunately there’s more important things to do just at the minute.
Damn. I can hardly hold this compact steady enough to…..
There. One more little dab. Perfect.

Time for a banana I think….. just about. Then it’s….
Who the hell’s this?
“Hello…..”
“I know. You said so yesterday…..”
“Really?”
“Well, you know what’s best, and if…..”
“I could….. listen, darling. I’ve really got to put a spurt on. I’m already running late. Let me call you back.”
Flaming Kelly and her love life. Always rings me at the most inopportune moment.

Oops.
Nearly knocked my water bottle over.
I should text Brian as well, while I remember. Get him to book that table for Saturday.
Right. Where was I?

Mm. Hello. He’s a hunk. And he’s giving me the eye…..
And, oh my God. he’s coming here. A cop, and it’s not even seven-thirty in the morning. It’s definitely me he’s coming across to see. Oh, no. Something awful must have happened. Is it Brian?

- - - - -

What a pompous little twerp. I mean, me? Littering?
Everybody who knows anything about the environment knows that banana skins and cigarette stubs are biodegradable. I told him, but he wasn’t having any of it.
You’d think he’d have better things to do with his time.

And as for “driving without due care and attention”!
Well!
The nerve of the guy.

- - - - -

[and if you think I’m being a little unrealistic, check this out :

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nort...5578-26426798/

drive safely…..]

[dizzydoll]

That was so funny, I couldnt stop laughing Walker, you really did put a big smile on my face. Excellent job.

Gosh, and I cant stand the sound of someone rummaging through a handbag for things, including myself.. I would sooner empty the bag on the street than deal with that sound.... You see I have a highly tuned ear and some sounds just get to me.

[FONT="Tahoma"]
Compact….. compact!
How come everything migrates to the bottom of my bag the moment I need it.
Tissues. Hair brush. Oh, so that’s where I left my ‘Gym’ card.
Ok.
And my eye-liner. Got it.

I ruddy well heard that sound as you described it. Such an enjoyable piece, it shows how astute you really are. Oh and that Daily Post article, its shocking, and its kitsch to say the least.

[Steven Hunley]

This was a treat. The spacing and shortness of the paragraphs added so much to the frantic pace. It was reading in a rush. If anyone can convey mood in a piece you're the one who can do it. Bravo.

[Hawkman]

Yes hill, I enjoyed it too. Very true to life but I saw the punchline coming after the second paragraph. It didn't spoil it for me though.

H

[hillwalker]

Thanks to you all.

And yes, Hawk, I knew there was a good chance someone would figure out exactly what the piece was about quite early on. It was a case of sticking to the plot without revealing too much - but still maintaining the reality of the setting (if that maks sense).

[Delta40]

I really love how you have swung your butterfly net and captured the pace, bustle, distraction of a morning. great piece

[hillwalker]

Thanks so much

[SilentMute]

Nice!

The part about everything migrating to the bottom of the purse--that is so my mom's purse! Myself, I keep everything in little compartments--bills $10 and larger are in one fold, $5 and singles are in another. Quarters are kept separate from lower denomnation coins. Cell phone has its own compartment.

I hate looking for things in my mom's purse--particularly the cell phone. Her cell phone will be ringing--and it has this sexy make-out music you used to hear in 1980's movies. I hear it, but I can't see it. The purse, I swear, has a black hole that swallows phones. She just shoves everthing into her wallet.

She is the same way at home. She isn't a pack rat, but she is bad about going through her papers. So, when I do Spring cleaning, I say--I found this business card of someone named -----. She doesn't know who he is. She looks him up on public records. She realizes he is someone that visited an office she used to work at--and he has been dead for five years.

[Pierre k31]

Well written, H. Perfect visual.

P

[hillwalker]

Thank you. I thought this had long been buried under them dusty archives!

[Pierre k31]

I've been reading!

P

[TheBearJew]

Read like a great opening scene to a movie. Liked it a lot.