Monday 19 January 2009

Journey - a story in 16 parts. J11. LATE

I’m always late. But today I’m on time. My brother and I share this characteristic much to the distress of our wives. It’s not genetic. Lateness was a serious sin in the family. Our parents were always annoyingly punctual; meaning I was never quite ready when they arrived, much to the chagrin of my father.

Today he would be pleased. We’ve got him to his rendezvous ahead of time. His other son however is somewhere on the highway between Murwillumbah and this destination.

Our mobile phone conversation is guardedly civil.

“Oh, I thought you said two o’clock!”

Silence.

“We’re not far away. Maybe twenty minutes”

Silence. A muffled prompt from the background.

“Maybe thirty……….or forty.”