Commute - Camp NaNoWriMo April 2015

Chapter Thirty-Nine - Same Old, Same Old

We trudge along for what seems like hours.

It's the same old meadows. Same old train track. Same old green, green grass. Same old, same old, same old.

We stop at one point for lunch, and pretty soon all our food is gone. Our bags (or briefcases, depending on what our jobs are) feel lighter on our bags, and the walking is a little easier. The twins and Fat Kid have to stop several times - their "legs are hurting", but apart from that we keep moving. Onwards and onwards, into the same green space.

"I swear we've seen that wood before," comments Fat Kid.

"No, we didn't, darling. We're following the tracks," his mother reassures him, but honestly I feel the same way. All this green, all these meadows... they're lulling me to a bored kind of sleep. From which I never wake up.

All these birds chirping are getting on my nerves, as well. Apart from Fat Kid's occasional complaints about his legs, we walk in silence, listening. Listening for what? Maybe a search party. Maybe another train, coming for us. I don't know.

Then suddenly, a noise breaks the silence.

It's not any kind of natural noise. It's a vroom-vroom noise. The sound that could only be made by...

A tractor.

It's driving through the field below.

A tractor (or any type of vehicle, for that matter) has to have someone driving it for it to move, right?

That means... people. Or at least, a person. There is a person driving that tractor.

We all stand still and stare.

Thing One is the first to react. She rushes down from the tracks to meet it, her sister close at her heels. We all follow, and by the time we get there, puffing and panting, the farmer is already out of his tractor and scratching his head in wonder.

"So your train crashed?" he says in a gravelly voice, peering at us. "I can see. You look pretty rough."

My hand goes to my face in embarrassment. I haven't washed for days. But he doesn't seem to care, luckily.

"You poor things!" he says. "Look, I've got space for one more person in here. Why don't I take someone down to the farm, and the rest of you wait here? We've got mobile signal there - it's a bit choppy, but it usually works. Who's coming with me?"

Everyone looks towards me. "Maya, why don't you go?" suggests Grandpa Cookie. "You've been a good leader. I think we can trust you to ring everyone who needs to be rung."

Oh no. Jamie must be out of his mind with worry! My eyes widen, and I find myself nodding. "All right, I'll do it. Does anyone have a notebook? We can write down everyone we need to contact, and I'll ring them for you."

Like magic, Kind Farmer produces a notebook out of the back of his tractor. "Here you go."

Everyone passes the book down and writes names down - roommates, parents, wives... except Tired Mum, who passes it straight on, her face blushing. I move over to her and say in a low voice, "Would you like my fiancé to come and pick you up as well?"

She nods. "Thank you. That would be very kind." Her face relaxes a bit.

When everyone has written the numbers down, I say goodbye to them all and climb into the tractor. "We'll come back for you, promise!" I yell, as he revs the engine and turns off the meadow, down a long winding track.