TRAIN SPOTTING 1962

A BOY AND GIRL ONE SUMMER DAY IN 1962

It was warm and the sun was over them the sky a bright blue the grass beneath them was dry and green turning yellow Yehudit lay beside Benny looking up at the sky at birds flying over what will you do when you leave school? she asked I want to be a motor mechanic he said but whether I get to do it I don't know silence came for a few minutes how about you? he said don't know she said get a bus into town get a job in a store I guess he looked at her sideways on took in her brown hair and her eyes looking up at the sky then what? he said don't know get married I guess have kids she replied who will you marry? he said she turned and looked at him depends on how things go she said he looked into her blue eyes with his hazel eyes does your mum know you're up here with me? he said I said we were going to watch the trains and see nature Yehudit said did she believe you? he said I guess she did but she stared at me as if her eyes could determine whether I was telling her the truth or not Yehudit said Benny watched her lips move the tongue there warm and wet and that time by the pond in the bushes her tongue and his had touched and invaded each other's mouths we can watch the trains go by when it's time he said she put a hand on his cheek smoothed his skin touched his lips with her fingers he put a hand on her thigh moved his hand up and down moved her skirt up a little she moved her other hand and held his hand not here she said softly in case she can see us from the bedroom window the cottage is too far away for her to see what we're doing he said maybe she has binoculars Yehudit said peering down at us now he looked back at the cottage where Yehudit lived with her mother and family would she? of course she would Yehudit said they looked away from the cottage and lay still for a few moments wonder what she thinks we are doing lying here? Benny said Yehudit looked at him she is probably wondering why we are lying here and has the binoculars up close on us Yehudit said shall we wave at the cottage? he said best not she said a magpie flew past them overhead an aeroplane flew in the sky going off away from them do you dream about me? she said looking into his hazel eyes often he replied and what do we do? she said I dreamed we moved into your mother's room while she was out and made love in her bed he said liar she said laughing he smiled well it was your bed actually he said hope you didn't wake my sister in the dream she said no she was in the bed with us Benny said Yehudit laughed and tapped his hand on her thigh no really she said dreams are odd things he said nothing is logical things happen which are so unreal they are unreal she said do you dream of me? he said most nights she confessed and in the dreams we make love in your bed he smiled and where is my brother all this time as I share a bed with him at home? I don't know where he is just us she said you have only seen my bedroom and bed once he said was it like that? it was but the bed seemed softer she said two rooks flew past overhead noisily do you remember our first time? she said moving closer to him her breath on him smelling of peppermint he nodded moved his hand onto her bottom and let it lay there yes it was so unexpected he said he pictured the school gym one lunch break they had gone in there for a moment of peace and to kiss the gym was empty no one about they had moved behind a curtain where there were jumping frames and mats and had lay there kissing and one thing had led to another and it happened just them there and their ears cocked for sounds and such but then it was done and they lay there hot and exhausted and had just adjusted their clothing when a prefect had come in and said what you two doing in here? nature study Yehudit had said the prefect told them to get out and followed them up the corridor and out into the grounds Yehudit moved his hand off of her bottom just in case she's watching Yehudit said that was a hot day in the gym and in afternoon maths lesson I was sticky and damp and I kept looking across the classroom at you to see if you were looking at me but you weren't you were talking to that Rowland boy you didn't tell him did you? of course not Benny said I have told no one I couldn't focus on Maths Yehudit said felt hot and yucky did you tell anyone? he asked no of course I didn't anyway who'd believe me she said she looked at him in silence he looked at her lips and her nose is the train  going to come soon? she said he looked at his wrist watch a few minutes time he said best go over and watch it then in case she's watching us so they got up from the grass and walked over the field to the embankment and waited can she see us from here? he said yes she can can probably see what size shirt you're wearing with her binoculars Yehudit said smiling he smiled too they could hear the steam train in the distance and see puffs of white and grey smoke rise in the sky and they watched as the train steamed past them below and they waved at the carriages but no one waved back that they saw then it was gone leaving drifting smoke which hung in the air and they stood there with a vacant stare.