The Waiting Room

Much like the weather outside, the station waiting room looked cold and bleak, despite the cheap tinsel that had been hung up in an attempt to look cheerful. As she vainly attempted to warm her hands by rubbing them vigorously together, she glanced at the timetable to double-check when her train was. She was aghast to find that her train was delayed by a further twenty-five minutes, most probably due to the treacherous weather. As if on cue, the wind howled through the station and she shivered, wrapping her coat tighter around her slim figure. She peered through the window into the waiting room and decided that maybe there was a chance it was not as cold as it looked. She pushed open the door and abruptly stopped. The waiting room was only mildly warmer and the hostile looks she was getting from the other waiting passengers by keeping the door open did not make the sizeable room look any more inviting.

Swallowing, she shuffled into the waiting room, pulling her hefty suitcase behind her. How she dearly wished she were already at home, with the fire roaring, her mother wrapping presents to put under the tree and her father singing along to the Christmas songs on the radio, even if he did sing somewhat out of tune. The image seemed to warm her, as she adored Christmas. Home was only an hour away by train; well, without train delays, she grimly thought as she glanced at the timetable that hung over the doorway, surrounded by tinsel. Regrettably, she observed that the train was indeed still running late, she settled into one of the cold, clinical-looking chairs and valiantly made an effort to shake the snow off her hat. Once she was satisfied with her efforts and her feet were surrounded by snowflakes, she began to dream of home for a second time.

It was odd to think of times when she would have given anything to escape her family home and vanish off to university, only to see her family on very special occasions. Now she was actually in university, she discovered she could not visit home as often as she would have liked, due to her job, work and lectures. Her roommates were frequently left incredulous that she thought of home so regularly when she could be out with her friends living the infamous university life but did not question her, simply believing it to be a serious bout of homesickness. This was the first time she had been able to visit for several weeks and was looking forward to it immensely.

She was jerked out of her thoughts as a voice over the speakers crackled, informing the frozen passengers that many of the expected trains had been cancelled caused by the severe snow that was falling outside. She waited with baited breath as the exasperated monotone voice reeled out the trains that were evidently not operating. She relaxed as her train was not called out and therefore had not been cancelled, but felt sorry for the other passengers who were grumbling at having to find another mode of transport at the busiest time of the year. She allowed a small smile to slip onto her face as she began blowing through her gloves onto her hands, placing her feet on either side of her suitcase to steady it.
She pondered on what her family were doing at that moment, as she sat waiting for the train home. Her elder brother probably would not be home yet, as he was never on time for any occasion. Her active mother was usually preparing for the inevitable visitors that would descend upon her home or fussing over her husband who found her antics rather amusing. She smiled at the thought of her parents, whose marriage was the type that people dreamed about and aspired to. She thought of the family dogs, who were both loved dearly by all members of the family and at how excited they would be to see her return. It was clear to anyone who met her that family was very important to her and it was a trait that was greatly admired. She loved the traditions that her family had held faithfully as long as she could remember; from the particular way that they decorated the tree to the dressing up of the dogs with excess ribbon from the present wrapping.

With these thoughts in mind, she stood and started pulling her suitcase to the door. She took one last glimpse around the bare waiting room and smiled at the remaining individuals who were desperately sipping on cups of warm drink. She looked, for the last time, at the timetable just to verify that her train had not been delayed at the last minute or worse, cancelled. She finally pushed open the door and headed out into the bitterly cold wind and snow that was swirling down onto the platform. As she looked down the tracks to see her train swiftly coming towards the station, she grinned beatifically and bounced on the balls of her feet. She was finally in the spirit of Christmas.