by simon baird

Sunday, April 13, 2008

heartwarming tales of the great southeast #2

Milly and I decided to take the two kids home on the train. It's about 8:35pm. There's room for them in the car but we figure they might enjoy the trip. As we're arriving at Central Station we notice on the TV screens that our train is red and flashing, ie it's leaving now. It's a 25 minute wait until the next train. Oh well, I thought. We move through the turnstiles, locate our platform and head down the escalators. I'm walking with Mr Five and about half an escalator behind Milly and Mr Four. Mr Five wants to catch up but I say, 'no running on the escalator'. Then I realise that the train actually hasn't left yet. Milly and Mr Four are hesitating at the train door -- apparently they've received a gesture from someone that it's too late to get on. I pick up Mr Five around the arm pits and hustle down the last bit of the escalator. By the time I get to the train, we get some 'come on' guestures from staff on the train and all four of us scoot through the doors together and sit down. At this time Mr Five looks at me sadly and says 'but what about my hat?'. It's a sparkly party tiara that he's been wearing since Ms One's birthday dinner at a Korean restaurant in the city. Somewhere between the escalator and the train it's fallen off his head. I'm about to say, 'look mate, I'm sorry, your hat is gone', when a railway staff member on the platform steps through the door and hands him the hat. She's noticed what happened and picked it up off the platform for him. His sad face lifts and he says thank you. We thank everyone and the doors close and the train departs.

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