Member-only story
Being a Mum
Jammed Between the Train Doors
Because I couldn’t be separated from my daughter
We step out of the train and I notice her back pack is not on her back.
‘Where’s you bag?’ I ask her.
She turns around. It’s not in her hands either.
Realisation hits us both.
‘Quick, we need to go back!’ I say.
Without hesitation, she dashes into the train carriage.
The automatic train doors begin to close in. I dash through. She’s nine. We can’t be separated. We’re not even in a place she’s familiar with.
The doors jam on me, hold me there briefly before releasing their find - and letting me in, so they can close again. But that’s okay, I’m in now.
I follow her down the tube of the Metropolitan line. The carriages are open-plan design. It’s like being in the belly of a giant friendly snake. She’ll be reunited with her bag. I doubt she noticed she nearly lost her mother.
This is the second time she nearly lost this lovely back-pack though. The first time was at a community picnic in honour of the late Queen’s platinum anniversary. My friends had brought her home and I’d assumed her then-new bag to be in the possession of a lucky new owner…
