The Journey Begins by Donna Page © 31/10/2021

 The Journey Begins by Donna Page © 31/10/2021

Suddenly the table began to shake, the delicate crystal tinkled musically as the train moved, ever so slowly at first. Tick tick, tick tick, tick tick, as the old wheels pulled the carriage away from the station. 

She looked out the window, the platform shrinking in the distance. She could see the rainbow bridge more clearly now. The other side led to the greenest of pastures, covered in colourful flowers. There were tiny waterfalls everywhere, pools of water and some mud. She could see animals bouncing all over the place. All moving like they were young and had just found a new home, a forever home.

She bought her attention back to the table, to the old woman who sat opposite her. The woman was staring out the window, sipping from a China teacup.

“Where did that come from,” she thought “so much is happening, so much is strange”

“It’s alright dear, the waiter brought it to me whilst you were staring at the fields outside”

She hadn’t seen or heard the waiter, but no point questioning. Some things just have no answers now. She needed to be content with what was happening around her. She would figure it out… eventually!

The waiter returned with some soup, he placed it on the table in front of her.

“What is this?” she asked

“What you wished it to be” he responded.

She took a spoonful, and she was tasting the most divine lobster bisque. Her favourite. The old lady seemed to be enjoying a broth of some kind. The waiter continued to bring food. Each plate a favourite of hers, scallops, beef cheek, tiramisu. All the foods she loved.

She shook her head. 

“Now this really must be a dream, there is no way all these foods can be on anyone’s menu. I would know about that restaurant, for sure.”

She was sure she didn’t say that out loud, but the old lady responded.

“Dear, this place is what you make it, what you want it to be, it is your journey after all. You make the choices.”

“You are on the Passing train; this train is a ride everybody will take one day. You choose your platform after here. There are thousands of stops on the way, but it will be your choice, the train only stops once for you.

You know where you are going already, you just haven’t realised it yet, that is why I am here. Why you choose for me to be here.

You see, my choice was to stay on the train, like many of the older people here, we are perfectly comfortable and happy. Our wants and desires are completely fulfilled, there is even bingo every Tuesday afternoon. 

We have travelled a thousand miles and more on this train. We greet all of you as you arrive. Our job, if you like, is to help you realise what is going on. Of course, we cannot actually tell you, because only you can affect your eventuality. What happens to you is not mine to choose.”

She opened her mouth to speak but before she could get a word out the old lady continued.

“I know you are going to say you didn’t choose to be here, you didn’t choose to catch a train.

No, you didn’t. The fates chose that for you. They chose it the day you were born. Today was the day you were meant to board the train. There was nothing you could do in your world to change that. 

You lived a good life, but it was only ever meant to be a short life. That saying live life to the full, it is a very real fact. You never know what tomorrow brings. Until now. This is Tomorrow. All that you see outside this window is Tomorrow. It is a tomorrow we don’t really think about.”

Suddenly another train rushed back toward the station. The gush of wind blew her hair wildly, but it settled gently back into place. She looked at the back of the other train for a moment, a quizzical look on her face. She only saw one train line at the station, how is there another train.

“That is the Return train, it is always in a hurry, and always late. Ask any pregnant woman how late that train is.” The old lady laughed at her own thought.

“Dear, you are on this train because your adventures on the ground are complete, for now. Your time has come, and you must make a decision as to where you get off this train. It is my job to give you a chance to understand where you are. To help you make peace with this journey. 

I have lived on this train for 30 years, you keep wondering why you remember me, you remember the table setting. Well, it is mine, just like the one in the cupboard, the one I gave to my daughter, who gave it to her daughter, and she will give it to your sister.”

“Grandma Nell?” she asked in astonishment “I was a tiny baby when Grandma Nell passed away, how can you be her, how can you be here? HOW?”