15 January 2013
The start
My Grim Life Chapter one I had survived another day; I woke up as normal, shaved, showered and dressed in my cheap suit as normal. Got the kids dressed and made their breakfast. Sat at the table reading the newspaper, sipping coffee and wondered if the wife would talk about the argument from the previous day. Money always about money, I hate this whole rat race life I have created for myself the typical family, the typical thoughts, the typical worries. Typical. The wife come to the kitchen door looking at the two little angels we created with love and looking at me with enough hate to start every argument up we had ever had. Today was different she was mad because I may lose my job, the company I work for wasn’t closing it will never close it a business that is too high in demand, I don’t sit around and wait for the shouting to start, I kiss the kids pour my coffee in the travel mug I got for Christmas and get ready for my normal walk to the normal train station. At the station the ticket machine man takes my money like he has for the last 10 years still not remembering me, then I stand with the rest of the faces of the rat races on the freezing cold platform I am the only one remembering the way I used to pretend to smoke with the foggy breath on a day like this, we make small talk, about business and family, pretend everything is alright with the world before we file into the commuters paradise of the slightly warmer than outside train. On the train the talk reverts back to business like tones everyone sending emails or shouting at their assistants on the other end of the phone for not cancelling the meeting before lunch. Whilst they all enjoy their power I sit staring out of the window imagining myself running as fast as the train keeping up and even overtaking it and never once stopping for the other passengers but running and never stopping running to ends of the world to escape my daily commute. 'What business are you into then' one of the rats says, a question which focuses me back into the commute, a question I quickly realise wasn't intended for me at all but the rat that has just stopped swearing at his secretary, I head back to my mind as he explains corporate management to all the corporate mangers sat near and around. As I get off the train and stare in childish amazement at the people unfolding their bicycles, the others wave goodbyes and go their separate ways, off to grab a coffee and head hurrying to office to begin another day of making far too much money for themselves, I scrap together enough change for my lunch and stroll to my basement office, day light barely breaking through the murky glass tiles from the street above.
My Grim Life • Opuss № I