Isobel

Isobel Pt.15

Raymond is sleeping. A hand reaches out and touches his face. He is sleeping and thinks it's a dream. He slowly opens his eyes. He can't focus too well as he strains to see. He can see a figure of a woman standing right in front of him. He can see her outline. She caresses his face. He looks very comfortable as he touches her hand.
"Isobel?" He said.
Isobel reaches over and kisses him on the cheek. She turns and walks away out of the room.
"Isobel?" He repeats.
He continues to call out her name. The nurse, alarmed, enters his room. Isobel is gone. The door swings opened and closed as the sound of footsteps can be heard going down the corridor.
The nurse goes over to Raymond to calm him down. Isobel has left a coin, sitting on the bedside cabinet, the same coin that Brendan had. He takes it and clasps it to his chest.

It is many weeks later. Brendan is on the floor in his father's shop, sorting out all the newspapers. The bell rings as someone enters the shop. Brendan immediately looks up. It's just a customer talking to his father. He puts his head down, disappointed.
He goes about his daily routine of stacking shelves, carrying boxes and talking to customers.

He is on his lunch break now as he idly wanders along the street

He visits Isobel's flat. He opens the door and gingerly goes inside. He sees the devastation. There is nothing that resembles a flat. He walks towards the window. He is about to leave whenever he spots something. A flicker of a smile comes across his face. There it is, on the wall where they had written their names. Isobel, Brendan and there is one other name as he wipes away the dust, Raymond. He leaves the flat.

Raymond is sitting by himself on a bench, by the riverside. Brendan walks towards him. Raymond looks up and is surprised to see him.
"Is this seat taken?" Brendan asked.
Raymond smiles at him. "No."
Brendan joins Raymond on the bench. Raymond continues to play with the stick in the dirt. There is an awkward silence between the two men.
Brendan is looking ahead to the river. "Don't you wonder why we do things without properly thinking them through?" Brendan said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if someone fell in that river, would you jump in and save them?"
"I can't swim."
"But, just think, that person is drowning. Would you be willing to risk your life to save theirs?"
"If it was you I would. But a stranger, I don't know. I don't want to die just yet."
"You see, we don't know what we'd do under those kinds of circumstances, I certainly wouldn't. I think that if you loved someone enough, you would do that, without having to think twice."
"I'm glad there isn't anybody drowning," Raymond said.
Brendan smiles at him. "Yeah, me too."
Brendan picks up a stick from the ground and tosses it into the river.
It makes a splash, creating a ripple in the water.

A train is speeding along the tracks, heading towards its destination.
The conductor is collecting the tickets as he walks down the aisle. He stops at a seat. He checks the ticket then walks away, revealing Isobel. She's sitting, looking out of the window. She has a slight smile on her face as she looks out of the window at the view going by. So many houses she thinks, so many people, all getting on with their lives.
She will never forget Brendan and Raymond, and she hopes they'll not forget her. They have their own lives now, they don't have to think of her anymore, but she hopes they still do.

Just think that person brushing past you on the street, a moment, a glance; we are all just strangers when we meet.

Trees, fields and houses go by. The view is going by at such a rapid speed as it becomes dizzy and blurred. All that is left is the sound of the train on the tracks.

And she closes her eyes.