Delayed Delight

Kirsty was running late. The morning just hadn’t gone her way. She’d been kept awake by the seagulls outside her window until the small hours of the morning. Having just drifted off to sleep her alarm pierced her slumber and she quickly reached to silence it in her waking daze. But this time she missed and her hand swung into a full glass of water, which shocked her.

In her efforts to catch it she had elbowed Philip in the face and knocked more things off her bedside table. “That’s just Great” he moaned. Kirsty tried her best to look apologetic and then had to get ready. Tilly was pattering excitedly on the talc floorboards wondering what the commotion was.

She cowered when Kirsty managed to clean up and come downstairs for Breakfast, with a capital B. She knew she needed her most important meal of the day. Tilly had been a bit naughty in the night with a toy and her water bowl.

Tilly’s favourite Fox no longer had a head. It was half sodden in her water bowl. But the bowl was not the right way up. In her viscous play fight Tilly had knocked it over. Water was all over the floor. Kirsty tried to glare at Tilly to show she was cross. But she knew dogs need disciplining immediately after an event because they forget why otherwise, which is mean. Tilly tilted her head and coyly wagged her tail, gently thumping on the kitchen cupboard.

It was then that Kirsty couldn’t keep her stern face. Tilly was her world. So she ruffled her head and set out to mop up the spillage.

Kirsty then made sure that Tilly had her food before her own in case she was too late. She popped some bread in the toaster and proceeded to do a mini kitchen clean up. She fancied a change from her usual cereal this morning. But sadly the toaster had been knocked far higher than usual. So it wasn’t long before a billow of black smoke began to pour out of the toaster. Setting off the smoke detector. She glanced up for a moment and mouthed ‘please no’ to whoever was listening. She quickly shut the kitchen door behind her armed with a tea towel she erratically flapped it near the detector to disperse the smoke. This was the second time she had woken up Philip and she felt such guilt that she went to give him a hug goodbye.

Definitely late now she didn’t hurry to catch the usual train. The next was over 20 minutes away. So she walked to the quaint little train station. It had been grey and drizzling when she had woken up. Sadly this had only gotten worse.

An old man was struggling along the pavement looking forlorn. He was lost. “What’s another five minutes?” Kirsty thought to herself. Moving more quickly now she approached the gentle soul and established that he was looking for the station. “I’m going that way! Walk with me!” She happily suggested.

The going was slow. But he smiled gratefully as the pair entered the station. “’fanks love. You’re a sweetheart” he offered, noting the ring on her finger. “Lucky man he is, I hope he knows”. At this the clouds split and a warming ray of sunlight splashed across the entrance. At that moment Kirsty’s chest nearly burst with pride and gratefulness. She’d done her good deed of the day. With a smile on her face she stepped onto her waiting train and found a seat, with an extra seat next to her, which she gladly put her bag on. Feeling accomplished she settled into her guilty commuter pleasure of the rush hour crush section of the Metro.