The Journey


"Mum can I have a drink?"

"Just a minute." as usual, time was against her.

"Mum can I have a drink?" Can I? Can I? Can I?"

Jane felt the rage ascend her body, filling her up, glug glug like an old-fashioned mercury thermometer.

"No, get off! Mum, Alfie's pulling my hair."

"I’m not!"'

"You are!"

"Mummm!"

They moaned in stereo, car seats of complaint. How could two such small creatures disturb her so? It wasn't meant to be like this, the worry, the bother, the anxiety, nothing ever going to plan.

Jane took the corner too fast and the brakes screeched echoing her fury.

"Just shut up the pair of you, just keep quiet for a minute can't you?"

The afternoon sun shone brightly through the windscreen forcing her to squint.

Damn! Cursed Jane, realising her sunglasses were on the kitchen table at home.

Twenty to, bloody hell, they should have been there half an hour ago, why was she always so late for everything, so disorganised, such a terrible mother?

She briefly slowed at the junction and only just bothered to indicate left.

Then they started up their evil chorus once more.

"Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum......

“Oh Jesus Christ! Shut up can’t you?”

She pulled out.

Thud!

Her heart froze; she didn't dare stop, her breathing filling in the gaps where once her children's voices had been.

Then the silence was broken.

"Mum, what was that?"

"Nothing, "said Jane, nothing, she wanted to believe.

The briefest look in her side mirror revealed her nightmare. The bike lay crushed against the curb, wheels jagged and inverted like a modern art sculpture made infamous by Charles Saatchi.

The owner, lying beside it on the road, a broken doll, blood trickling from his head.

"What was it mum?"

"Did we hit a cat?"

Strapped into their seats they couldn't turn around and their innocence was thankfully preserved.

Jane heard the words escape her lips.

"Bollard…. it was a bollard." then she accelerated and drove away not too fast not too slow.

She parked up, unstrapped her children and rang the bell on the door boasting all the colourful balloons.

"Happy Birthday!" they shouted and ran ahead of her into the party.

Jane stood in the doorway, her guilt framed for all to see.

"Cup of tea Jane, you look like you've had a bit of a day?"

She nodded, taking off her coat.

"I.... I..


But before she could get the words out there was that insistant pestering again.

"Mum...Mum...Mum...is it time to go yet?"

Jane sat up, her head throbbing, Jesus Christ! Look at the time, how the hell could she have just dropped off like that.

She bundled the children out the door slamming it shut, only then remembering both her house keys and car keys were still inside.

Still shaking she drew them beside her, come on, we're late, we'll catch a cab.