My train was stopped mid-journey by a suicide. Someone had thrown themselves on the tracks. Over the loudspeaker they apologised that the train had been “38 minutes delayed by a fatality.” Within two stops, “38 minutes delayed by a fatality” had become “the incident at Exeter.” From the next stop onwards it was just described as the delayed train. Death had been demoted, and it only took three stops.
I still remember the strong Afrikaans accent of the man that sat opposite me on the train. He shoved his way onto the packed train as the doors were closing, pushed his way passed everyone stood in the aisles, and was just about to sit down when a woman beat him to it. He got angry and shouted at her for stealing his seat. I moved over and made room for him at my table. Once he’d calmed down, he made a concerted effort to entertain the group of women sat across from us; especially the one who had taken his seat. I listened to the strange lulls and uncomfortable shift…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Chapter 23 by James Garside to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.