Travel - Penzance

Cherry

By Ray Schaufeld

Fri, 09 May 2014
  • 3319 reads
12 comments
 

The teller of the tale is in Exeter Bus Station, waiting for two road buddies to return.

Penzance.

Penance.

Pen, can, pan, nape, cape, pane, cane.

An.

A.

Words I can get out of Penzance.

That's it.

Pea. As in pea-picking. Well daffs. We're going daff-picking in Cornwall. The three of us. Well me anyway. Terry and irish Mike said they would meet me back here in half an hour.

That was hours ago.

That last bus to Penzance has left. That doesn't matter because we're hitching.Although I felt forlorn when it left me standing here. With seventy-four
Pence.

I knew I'd find one more.

And Pee. I need one. Maybe I can strip-wash in the toilet.

Doubt it.

Best pee. I can read the graffiti. If they show up they can wait.

Still no sign of them. The bus stations almost deserted. Only a tiny dribble of local services. And a drabble of locals returning
Home.
 
I should start walking. Ask for the Exeter roundabout. There won't be a Penzance one, it's too far away.
Maybe Plymouth.
 
It's dark. Any minute it's going to rain.
Wait. They did say the Bus Station, not the Train Station?
 
Has Exeter got two Bus Stations?
 
Could always go back to South London. To the squat that's not. Now that it's All Gone Wrong.
 
No, never go back.
 
Daff-picking might be OK. Terry says if you do warm-ups you don't get a sore back. And you do a standing-up massage every twenty minutes.
 
I want a cup of tea but the cafe's shut. It  probably cost more than seventy-four pence.
 
That man lying on the bench with his bottle tried to beg off me. 'Spare a little change please.' I should have asked him to 'spare a little cider please.'
 
Looks like an old
Ape. Knew there was one more.
 
Ape, second meaning. To copy, emulate. Maybe I could beg from the teenagers at stance 57. I look less tramplike than ape-face. 'Spare a little change please, help the homeless.'
 
No, they'd take the
Pee.
 
It's raining cats and dogs now. I need food.. Hah, on the bench a can of coke and a plastic tray of chips with ketchup. Coke's Ok, no floating fag ends.
 
Now for ends in the covered part where it's dry. I've got my trusty Zippo and my Rizla Green.
 
Coke, chips, smoke.
 
Peace. Knew there was one more.
 
To early to sleep. The bus staff are letting old ape-face do it. I wish I had a sleeping-bag. Terry had a Swiss Army one but someone nicked it.
 
I've got a twenty p. Could phone someone from the box. But who?
 
Best save it for a rainy day haha.
 
Face facts JoJo, yer skint, yer homeless, your alone, it's raining, your jacket's not waterproof, your trainers leak and you don't know what the bloody heck you're doing.
 
And the Z  useless.
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Certificate 12
Story
Lost and found
Travel

Comments

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Elsie

Poor thing, I felt the cold and wet, but the character didn't seem downhearted, and just made the best of the situation. I like the idea of doing warm ups to keep your back from aching. And making lots of words out of Penzance.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

I like the way this develops Elsie, beginning with hope and ending with almost despair.

The situation of so many.

Lindy

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

This is one of my favorites from you so far, Elsie. Loved the character. Witty and charming.

Rich

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Thank you Jean, Rich and Starfish.

Although I moved to the Southwest of England after my hitching days, when younger I had 13 years where I used to hitch regularly, often longdistance between Scotland and England, so I know my topic!

Thank you greengrocer too.      Elsie

Submitted by william calkins on

The style and format of unveiling this character and their circumstance was engaging. You captured the quick-flit of thoughts that goes on while waiting, and at the same time rendered the surroundings and background. Very nice writing. 

william calkins

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

William, thanks for your friendly comments. My story comes from two places, first my hitching days and then a morning where I had to wait a long time in Exeter Bus Station to put a young person on a coach. I got the time wrong and for over an hour played my wordgame of 'words I can get out of Penzance'. The Z can be used, in Zap and Zen. However my storyteller with the 'flitting thoughts' has become disheartened.              Elsie

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Otto, you are a kindred free spirit! Back in 1984 I lived in a caravan at Faslane Peace Camp. If we ever meet please tell me about your times at Luxulyan.

Keep well and happy. I too love apples and carrots. Yesterday I finished reading Morrissey the autobiography. Steven Patrick has acomplished something real. When I have finished the contents of my fridge I shall become a non carnivore. All the best             Elsie

Submitted by Yvonne Anderson on

Hi Elsie

I like how you have your character living in the moment, concerned mostly with now and the immediate future, passing time patiently as someone who has learned there is no other way. How close we all are to that. 

 

Best wishes. Yvonne

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Yvonne, what a perceptive comment! People who 'just live from day to day', the phrase is often used as a judgement on the non-aspirational. And yet, as Larkin wrote 'where can we live but days?'  As you say 'now and the immediate future' the rest is subject to life's adjustable spanner.           Elsie

Submitted by celticman on

always ends in tears. 74 pence is a start I suppose.

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Cheers CM, I suppose she could blow her life's savings and buy a bar of choc for an energy boost. Or a bread roll from the Co-op.      Elsie    

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Thanks for reading Paul, I am glad you enjoyed it.     Elsie