Wednesday 29 April 2015

Coach Trip

For audio click here

‘And another thing,’ Marlene said, her husband Frank rubbed his brow and wondered how many other things there had been in their 40 years of marriage. Marlene could find fault in a perfect ten and could pick holes in water.
‘I'm not sure if the restaurant that we were in last night didn't…’ Marlene continued. Frank nodded, not really listening any more. They were eating breakfast in a Zagreb hotel, two thirds through a bus tour of Central Europe, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna and now Zagreb. Marlene had already complained about the piped music and the freshness of the croissants. it should have been a trip of a lifetime but instead it was turning into a whinge of a lifetime. Marlene had brought the original advert with her and was comparing the reality with the ad man's copy at any given opportunity. But even if the event organisers had fulfilled everything in the brochure, Marlene would still have found a reason to carp.
Frank looked at his watch, they were due on the coach at 7.45, it was 7.43. The guide had asked them to be on time as the drive to Split was going to be a long one.
‘We should go,’ Frank said.
‘The guide said 15 to,’ Marlene snapped back. 
‘And it is 17 to.’ Frank said wearily. Marlene refused to be early; she was a stickler for being on time which to her usually meant being a few minutes late. She claimed it was her right to be on time but Frank suspected it was because Marlene hated waiting for anyone else; let them wait for her.
‘I'll go and check our bags are on the coach.’ Frank said.
‘As you wish, ‘Marlene said,  lifting her cup to her lips in a I'm going to finish my coffee type way.
Frank sat on the coach, the empty seat next time all the more conspicuous for it being the only one.
‘Where's Marlene?’ The guide asked. Frank didn't know what to say and when Frank didn't know what to say, he said nothing.
‘She's late again,’ said one of the other holidaymakers.
‘We're forever waiting for her,’ another chipped in.
‘Yeah, who does she think she is?  We should go without her.’ Another voice said.
‘Let's go.’
Everyone went silent and looked in the direction of the voice.
‘Let's go,’  Frank repeated.
‘Are you sure?’ asked the guide.
Frank nodded. The guide looked unsure, it was his responsibility to make sure all the passengers were safe. But if the husband of the most annoying guest he'd ever had was saying leave her behind then...
‘Okay,’ he said. And then walked down the aisle to talk to the driver.
The other passengers were chattering excitedly but then silence spread from the front of the coach to the back.

‘I can't believe how bad that coffee was this morning,’ Marlene said, oblivious to the silence.
Everyone watched her waddle down the aisle towards her husband who was hoping his fellow travellers would keep his earlier wishes secret. They did.

1 comment:

  1. Poor Frank ! I hope he won't kill her one day!

    ReplyDelete