Another trip

Suitcases trundling, everyone hurrying
Pushchairs fill the escalator
A long long platform where numbered posts show us where to go
Our number is many posts along but eventually we are there
We struggle up the extra high steps into the carriage
And heave our cases onto the luggage rack
They have gained in weight somehow
Count the seats, Ahh! To sit down at last
More people and children seek out their seats
A long wait….. Children cry and wail
Standing to reach the luggage rack, we sort out the things we need for the journey
All the while squeezing back into out seat space to let others struggle by
A loud voice gives an announcement in three languages
A post slides silently by the window
You had not realised the train has started
You doze off for a while, when you wake it is dark outside
Your watch says 11:58AM, you are under the sea
A long wait….. Children cry and fidget
The toilet light is on - you wait – it goes out
Swaying and reeling you reach the door
The soap dispenser is empty
Swaying and reeling you return to your seat
You stand up and let her into the aisle
She too goes swaying and reeling down the aisle
But forewarned she carries a bottle of hand wash
A long wait….. Children complain and fight
We burst into daylight, we are in another country
A loud voice gives an announcement in three languages
We are at Lille
Are we there? Children ask and are ignored
The loud voice gives an announcement in three languages
Again a post slides silently by and we are off on the last leg
Another long wait…. Parents are getting tired too and voices rise
A louder voice gives an announcement in three languages
We arrive
The suitcases do not want to leave their rack
We stand in line for the door with our reluctant suitcases
A long platform and we trundle to the lift
The lift is out of order
We trundle to the stairs and lug the suitcases higher and higher
Loose change, keys, watch, dark glasses and mobile phone go into a tray
Our luggage slides into a tunnel with rubber strips trailing over them as they pass out of sight
We claim them after passing through an empty door frame
We are handed back our loose change, keys, watch, dark glasses and mobile phone
It takes forever to get it all back into the various pockets and purses
Another shorter trundle and our suitcases are taken
They will get to the hotel before us
We emerge into the daylight
A fairytale castle is silhouetted against the sky
The afternoon stretches before us and an excited child leads the way
We are here again