Page 19 - Contrast2008

bheaen-bthe y d'on t mentio.n dates-but it must have to learn how to use a coffee machine. I'm
not even sure they're called that. I'm sure they
ve een a w hiIl e. A 1at has changed. have a proper name. When it comes time (Q
leave, her friend stands up with her and they
is Joy has gone through three boyfiriends but leave together. The friend is going to Joy's house
for coffee and to catch up on old times. I'm stay-
hacurrentl y sm. g 1e and not enjoying it. She also
ing here.
inrs a new job at ace-awfch' ere they bumped

thea one aneth er-t hat IiS mostly populated by

her oolvde.r-fbifty crow.d She likes this better than

at" )0 because her new customers are more The next train to depart from Platform One
will be the jour-thirty-two, Flinders Street,
aPlsoleanctatbh'abn th e a ld ones were. The old job was stopping all stations to Flinders Street except East
coolfi e ut was too trendy for her. That cafe's
Richmond
the - actor (Joys' word, not mine) meant that

neveC.Ustomers were all pretentious assholes that

and ~ tipped, At her new job, her boss likes her, The train's here and Joy's not.
I don't get on
ally bas offered to sell her the business eventu-

if s,h Ut Joy 1·sn,t sure I can't quite figure out how a simple and, instead, opt to
e can afford it I action, one that I'd been performing wait for the next one,
han . just in case she's late.
to fig on every word

b nd OUtwhere it is for years (hell, decades!), could seem Twenry-nine minutes
alien. Every day, a billion people open later, the next train
.ut Joy doesnt' men- ' doors without a thought to how they comes, and then goes,
tIon· I would lik and I stay on the plat-
to vi It.. 1e
At 1ISlt he r work.
at

east, that way I'd do it. Without Joyhere, I can't seem form. I catch the one
haVe to remember how. after that, thirry-one
to h an excuse to talk ' minutes later again,

her. I could talk to

er, say the cool and which she also fails to show up for. When it
comes time to actually get on the train, it feels
W. .

tnIandnlt.ng thimg, and gradually make her fall

y in love with me. weird opening the door just for me. I'm so used

derstaItn dmy 1famasy, I am wearing classy, but un- to turning sideways, pulling the handle, step-

cafe b ~ , c othes. Joy's stressing out about the ping back, smiling, spinning back around, and

hair isetng busy and having to work solo. Her finally getting on the train that I'm finding it
hard to remember how to open the door in any
b a mess and her cheeks red from running other way. I can't quite figure out how a simple
etwe action, one that I'd been performing for years
Until Ie? t~bles. I offer to help and she declines (hell, decades!), could seem alien. Every day, a
mochaclU. SISt . I·SIt at th e coffee machine, pouring billion people open doors without a thought to
and eachcine.s and macc hiiatos, chais and lanes, how they do it. Without Joy here, I can't seem
I make ti.me she comes up with a new order,
I.ncredibal WItty cornrnent or show her something

the coffee Ishe can do with this model to make to remember how. No, it's not a case of remem-
bering. I know how to do it. It's just that it isn't
th e thinges 0I0kknand taste b etter. She loves me for

~~ing about ow, and for my humor. For es- my natural response anymore. I have to think
InVites me c me. At the end of the night, she
fram there. ror coffe e at h er p 1ace and things go about what I'm doing.
After I'm done dithering about with the

Before an y of that happens, though, I'll doors, I sit in the first seat I see. Another girl