Lizzie Enfield - Uncoupled

Location: Brighton Station

Transcript: Holly smiled at her again and the woman smiled back…She was still annoyed, though, with Mark for insisting on coming with her to the station and trying to keep her buoyant with jokes that she’d heard too often before. He obviously thought his presence would be reassuring, but it had the opposite effect. His forced humour made it difficult for her to focus on staying calm. She knew she was being ungracious, but she couldn’t help it. If he makes the Hastings-and-or-where? joke, Holly had thought to herself, as a disembodied voice began announcing the arrival of a train on platform seven, I might just hit him. Holly usually tolerated Mark making the same jokes over and again. Every time she asked if they should go next door, meaning from the kitchen to the living room, and he answered ‘Hadn’t we better ask the neighbours if they mind?’ she would smile indulgently. Mark had no idea she actually found the joke extremely irritating. Today she was having trouble masking this irritation. ‘The train on platform seven,’ said the announcer, ‘is the 8.58 service to Hastings, calling at…’ ‘You don’t have to wait,’ Holly had said abruptly to Mark. ‘You’ll be late for work.’ ‘Only a few minutes.’ He failed to pick up on the fact she didn’t want him there. ‘I’d rather be here.’ ‘Bexhill-on-Sea, St Leonard’s Warrior Square…’ the announcer had been reeling out station names during their brief exchange ‘…Hasting and Ore.’ Ore, once a small village, was now a large suburb of Hastings. ‘And or where?’ said Mark, on cue and as expected. ‘I knew you were going to say that,’ Holly snapped. ‘Can’t teach an old dog new…’ he began but stopped, realising she was annoyed. ‘Sorry.’ ‘What for?’ Holly scanned the departures board, hoping the London Victoria platform would appear and she could get away from him. ‘I don’t know.’ It was true, Mark obviously didn’t know but he was sorry anyway. That was typical of him, understanding, even when he didn’t quite understand. And he didn’t understand what she was feeling right now. Holly didn’t really understand herself. She just wanted to get on with things, the first one being boarding the train.