Last Day

I step out on to the pavement. I’m used to the flow of suits along Collins Street, the five o’ clock flurry of people striding to Flinders station. But today I am early, and it is quiet.

I glance back to the office. Every time I pass this building, I’ll think of the times watching workless Friday afternoons drift by; I’ll smell the lunchtime coffee machine, and remember that I can no longer go inside. I wait at the lights.

I walk past the cafes with their half-drunk cappuccino’s wobbling on empty tables. Cars drive past on their way to lunchtime bars and business meetings. The corporate clock ticks on without me. Now I am just a suit in the rain, wondering what to do next.

I head to the station. No crowd to guide me now. I look up at the scrolling board and set foot on platform three with five minutes to spare. I sit on the end bench, waiting.

After eight minutes my train arrives. I allow an elderly Greek man to step off, and then search for my seat. There are plenty to choose from, but I look for one without an empty bottle or burger carton, away from the drunk man perching at the front of the carriage. I sit down as the doors beep shut. The train pulls me away from the city, away from work. This is my last day.

I watch through the window as the train writhes its way round the inner city. The carriage in front of me bobs up and to the side. I look at the names scratched into the white plastic of the seat to my right. Darrell and Kate. Darrell and Kate. Darrell and Kate. The train slows once more and Croxton Station arrives.

I stand and press the button. The doors slide open and I step off into the rain. I walk along the platform to the exit, where an Aboriginal woman is sheltering. I wait for the train to pass and the gate to lift. I cross the tracks and make my way towards High Street. Houses stand either side of me, their owners still at work in the city. This is my last day.

The rain persists as I reach the house. I lift the keys from my pocket, open the door, and step inside. I’ll be seeing more of this place now.

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