The Pevensey wait.

 

"I got in!" Lucy said, "I'm going to Edinburgh." Edmund was truly happy for her but didn't want her to leave. It was almost inevitable that she would find some boffin who she adored and leave him here doing menial jobs for little old ladies he couldn't stand.

"I'm really pleased for you," Edmund said, and he meant it. "I wish you didn't have to go so far away." She hugged him before seeing some more of her friends and had to share the good news with them. "See you later!" Edmund shouted after her. She hadn't heard him.

******

 The breeze that blew along platform two of Pevensey and Westham train station made Edmund shudder. He hadn't sat there long, but knowing he was facing quite a wait, he brought his jacket closer to his face, hoping for warmth and comfort. Spring had not arrived, and the previous week's fine weather had disappeared into drizzle and fog.

 The sound of the bin liner repeatedly hitting the station wall annoyed Edmund, who wished he had brought his MP3 player. He contemplated racing home and coming back with some food, but what if he missed something. He looked up at the departure board. There was no train due for at least another twenty minutes. He got up and looked at the self-service ticket machine; he typed in several hypothetical journeys before sitting back down colder than before.

Edmund picked at the grey plastic coating the metal bench he was sitting on. He looked up at the departure board, searching for the time, and immediately forgot it. He took out his phone. There were no messages. He now knew the time, but it didn't stop him from looking at the departure board again.

 The traffic crossing the road at the end of the platform was slow moving, and Edmund looked out for his neighbours' cars, trying to work out their secrets. He spotted Mrs Waddon's lime green Peugeot drive over the crossing and tried to hide a little. She was a family friend, and he still couldn't bring himself to call her Susan after all these years. She used to go to the local primary school and hear children read; he was so used to seeing her at school that the habit of referring to her as Mrs Waddon stuck.

Mrs Waddon told Edmund that Lucy was back for the holidays and that she had been to see some friends but would be back later that day. Edmund was keen to see her and couldn't wait until tomorrow. So here he was, waiting for a girl who was hopefully on a train. He didn't know which she would be on or if she had gone by train. But here he was, looking more clueless than usual.

******

 The rain swirled in the lights on the opposite platform like a murmuration of Starlings. The rails glistened with anticipation of the next arrival, which, if Edmunds's information were correct, would arrive any minute now. He still wasn't sure that it would turn up or who would be on it. Although he lived in a small village between Eastbourne and Hastings, he didn't know most of his neighbours. Being a Sunday, he wasn't even sure if anyone would get off. He was the only person at the station and didn't expect anyone else to appear.

 ******

Edmund had been friends with Lucy for as long as anyone could remember. The fact that they shared the names of characters from a book brought them closer, although they had never been in a Wardrobe together. They were inseparable. At Halloween, they would take their friends to tell ghost stories in the castle before going trick or treating dressed as the characters they shared their names with, although this usually led to Edmund being given Turkish delight, which he didn't like and the inevitable question "where's Aslan?"

 ******

The castle down the road wasn't quite visible from the station, but the view from the train was a sight to behold, even in its dilapidated state. He knew what it would have been like for William the Conquerer, waiting for the one event that would change his life. His problems weren't as significant as that bastard, but they sure did feel like it; this made him more nervous, and he now couldn't wait for this day to be over, whatever the outcome.

 ******

The 19:23 southern service to Brighton calling at Hampden Park, Eastbourne, Polegate, Berwick, Gylnde, Lewes and Brighton is running approximately six minutes late."

 ******

Edmund had the strange feeling that he was on the wrong platform, so he walked over the bridge in case he misjudged Lucy's whereabouts. Indeed, there wasn't much to do in Hastings on a wet Sunday afternoon, but that couldn't stop Lucy from going to see friends there. When he reached the bottom of the steps to the other platform, the Brighton train pulled to a stop, and the doors opened slowly. The green and yellow livery did little for any act of romanticism, and neither did the passengers who disembarked. He certainly wasn't here to greet his old primary school teacher, even though he gave her a slight nod in recognition.

 ******

Edmund trudged back to the other platform and noticed his acquired warmth had vanished. It took a good few minutes to get any comfort back in his buttocks, and he was again left to his thoughts.

 ******

Edmund wasn't an exceptional student like Lucy, and as they entered secondary school, they spent less time together. Lucy carried on her studies in sixth form while Edmund got an apprenticeship with a local key cutter shop. They still stayed friends and would sometimes take their dogs for walks across the castle grounds together.

Lucy was a popular girl with many boyfriends that Edmund was jealous of. He never said anything, though, and sometimes he wishes he had. He wouldn't be sat here for a start.

****** 

 'The 21:30 southern service to Hastings calling at Cooden Beach, Collington, Bexhill, St Leonards Warrior Square and Hastings is about to arrive at Platform two."

 This was it. It had to be. There weren't many trains left that day. The rails buzzed in anticipation in unison with Edmund. The girl he had longed after for so many years would be arriving soon. He was only sorry that this wasn't the days of steam, and she would appear as if by magic from a cloud of smoke. The train seemed to take forever to stop. Edmund knew he wasn't in the best place to cut a quick exit. He thought he saw her green felt hat in the first carriage, but he couldn't be sure. The thought of an impostor was too hard to bear. He felt like he was wasting his time.

 The now familiar style of the train opened its doors. Only one person got off the train. It was Lucy, and she had seen him, she was walking towards him. Edmund hadn't thought this far ahead in his plans. What would he do when he saw her? More importantly, what was he going to say? He was about to find out, but just at that moment, he couldn't move. He wanted to tell her that she was the reason he was here, but that made him feel uncomfortable as he had spent most of the day here, and that would make him seem crazy. 

******

"Edmund" she said, hugging him. "What are you doing here? Mum said she sees you walking the dog sometimes down by the castle, but she never told me you had started train spotting." Lucy takes a pace back so that she can see Edmund better.

"Well, I haven't earned my anorak yet,' he said, looking down at his shoes. 'I'm waiting for someone', he said almost under his breath, trying not to look in her direction. He looked down again, nearly guilty that he had said that. There was a pause before anyone moved or spoke, and Edmund was sure it wouldn't be him. He wished this day had never happened. How could he have been so foolish?

"Oh, Ok. Your laces aren't undone. Lucy knew Edmund liked her, but he was a shy boy, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. She kissed Edmund on the cheek and turned for the exit. 'See you around, I guess.' She turned around, leaving Edmund alone on the station.

He was now firmly planted into the spot, waiting for the platform to give way and end his sorry existence. All he saw was the swish of her red coat and black skirt as she walked away. Things really couldn't get any worse. He finally plucked up the nerve to say, "It was you I was waiting for. Lucy stopped and took a while to turn and look back at Edmund. He was still looking at his laces.

'Well. I guess you'd better walk me home then.'