What We Never Got to Say

i.

IF THERE WAS SOMETHING that young Miss Elaine Foster would never dream of doing, it's to go empty-handed in a place that was 151 miles away from her hometown--which, unfortunately, out of the most dreadful days of all days, exactly happened to the 25-year-old.

She was planning to treat herself a short vacation and Derbyshire was the desired place. It has been a stressful month and a break away from London was exactly what she needed to relieve the  stress from work and personal issues or whatever it is she was stressing about. A nice countryside view and fresh country air may perhaps loosen her up.

Taking the train from St. Pancras International, London to Derbyshire, she was utterly pleased with herself; finally, she can take a week-long rest. Elaine is a writer who works in the newspaper industry, and the past month was just too much work--hours spent on proofreading and writing columns altogether with multiple coffees and overtimes, since there were just too many issues and events happening during that particular time period. 'I just needed a short break' was what she told her boss, which was given to her so easily that she had even thought that it was something needed of an exchange (probably double or triple work). She hoped not; nevertheless, she can already feel the early morning sun scratching her face, bringing warmth and calmness to her usually clouded mind.

Elaine, who was just inches away from falling asleep in her seat, had caught a glimpse of a man (was it a man?) taking the seat across from her. Due to the instantaneous and profound sleep weighing on her because of the sleepless nights of that week, she wasn't able to pay much attention to that mysterious person sitting in front of her. She fell asleep soundly, like poor, little red riding hood unaware of the deceitful wolf waiting to prey on her (or her things).

══════ ✰✰ ══════

IF THERE WAS SOMETHING that 27-year-old Theodore Webb hated doing, it's going home. There are only two options: he has made Mum and Pops utterly upset and disappointed with him and he has to endure a day's worth of sermon and house service or he's bringing home a girlfriend because he's 27 and still isn't married. It's the latter, which makes him hate going home even more since he doesn't have a girlfriend thank you very much.

This was the first time he was going home for the latter reason, and it was deceitful, really, to bring someone who was only a friend, and introduce her as his fiancée just to make his parents stop from forcing him to marry Mrs. Duncan's eldest daughter, (which is a family friend) Natalie. She was not very much attractive to him but is quite pretty in the small village of his hometown, Castleton, Derbyshire. Natalie is a great lady, just a little, well, thicko and has a quite unpleasant smell of onions (that's why he refused to marry her). Kind of obsessed with him, so as to say. Theodore cringed at the thought of marrying Natalie.

He tried telling his parents that marriage hasn't crossed his mind yet and is trying to enjoy his singlehood. However, his parents thought otherwise, thinking that he would miss out in life if he didn't marry before he reaches thirty. Mr. and Mrs. Webb are quite old-fashioned, (obviously) that they would even go to the extent of arranging Theodore's marriage (to a girl he terribly dislikes) for the fear of their son missing out and for their desire of having grandkids. Thus, Theodore hated going home. Marriage is depriving him from living out his life; he believes that there is more to this life than just marrying, working, having kids, then retiring. It's like living is simply a chore–boring and systematic. He wanted to live, like really live, and if he ever wanted to marry it'll be to–he pushed the thought away before he even began to think about it. There are some things better left untouched.

Nonetheless, he looked outside the window of the train, enjoying the view. He's quite a lover of the countryside, since growing up he would always wander around the village and think about how vast the world is, as he lied in the grass on top of hills, enjoying sunsets and the scenery nature reveals. He remembered thinking as a little boy about London and the wonders it holds. Now, he would like to go back to that period of his life–wondering and admiring and still not disappointed in life itself.

He was now staring. He snapped out of the distant memory, shook his head and looked around him; people were doing their thing: some were reading books, some were using phones, some were eating, some were listening to music, some were dozing off and sleeping. Then he saw that man. He wasn't doing anything in particular but he gave off the atmosphere of a villain or perhaps a wolf that anytime would attack. He was sitting in front of a woman who was drooling and was sitting (or probably almost lying down) comfortably in her seat. Senses told him to watch that man, but he wasn't really doing something perverted or horribly wrongful, but still he felt like he should be wary of him. There's something about his clothes that gave Theodore an impression of a criminal; he was wearing a beanie with its hood over his head, hiding the face. Then his phone rang.

"Hello?" Theodore asked the caller. "Hi, yes, it's me Julie."

"Oh, Julie, something wrong?" there was a short pause before heaving a long sigh.

"Look Theo, I'm sorry, there's an emergency and I can't make it today."

Theodore didn't answer.

"I'm really sorry. I hope you can think of another way, " Theodore sighed before answering, "Yeah, it's fine. About that part– thinking of another way–I doubt I would. God help me."

Julie said, "I'm really sorry Theo. Maybe you can find someone along the way, who knows?"

"Yeah. (I doubt, he thinks) Well thanks for telling me Julie. Bye." He ended the call.

He hated going home even more than he said he did before.