You Ended Up Where?

I was awake at 9am. I headed downstairs sometime after that.

LouLou was asleep on the couch and the fire was out. She clearly hadn’t stacked it up with wood before she went to sleep.

I made coffee, the coffee machine whirred and made lots of noise. LouLou didn’t wake up.

Jane and Jay came out and LouLou still didn’t wake up. We weren’t trying to be silent.

Then at 10am her travel clock boop, boop, bopped and she woke straight up.

Jane left.

LouLou left, saying she would swing by at 6pm to drive Mark and Luke to the airport, since she was driving right passed.

We did the little cleaning that was needed. Then we were all on our computers.

Mark agonised about going to see his mum. Firstly, around 11am. Then at 3pm, eventually going to see her then.

Sam and I ate tiramisu and apple crumble.

Luke fell asleep on the couch.

Mark was home 5’ish.

I text LouLou. She said she was coming… famously late, direction challenged, LouLou.

At 6pm, she text to say she was in St Kilda. Goodo, I thought. 

We waited outside a short time later. No LouLou. Surely, she can’t mess this up?

At 6.15pm, she said she was crossing Brunton Avenue. Okay, good, nearly here. So, I waited outside again. Still no LouLou.

At 6.20pm, She still hadn’t arrived. Seriously? Mark told me to get my car out and drive them.

At 6.30pm, LouLou called to say she was on the Chandler Hwy. What?

I couldn’t help but think, idiot! Brunton Avenue to the Chandler Highway? How do you even do that?

Besides, I was a bit stoned and I never would have gotten so stoned if I had to drive. I should have told them to catch a taxi, but it was the very last second and they had to leave and somebody needed to drive them, there and then, there was no waiting time left, otherwise they wouldn’t have caught their plane.

Seriously, LouLou! No fucken words, really. 

I had to concentrate. I had to switch to driving mode. 

Grrr! I got the car out. 

The freeway disappeared under the front of the car like a charcoal ribbon, smoothly and unhindered. Suddenly the airport was in front of us, then there were lots of lights and we were driving up the arrivals ramp and the cars in front were being slow, dithering, jostling for position, but we had to get to the end and we needed to be there immediately. 

I got them to the doors at 7.45pm’ish. We stopped nose into the gutter. Doors opened. The back door opened. Mark and Luke were talking, but to each other, what they had to do next, their plan of action. The back door slammed shut. Two bristle faces kissed me on either side of my face. I opened the Type Rs wide door and climbed back into the car. I pushed the CD on. Renee Gayer purred to me. I flicked on my driving lights. I selected fist gear and accelerated off to the end of the departures over pass, before it turned right and slid back into the freeway heading away from the airport. I flicked on my head lights. I accelerated smoothly through six gears. I relaxed back into the seat. 

Renee sang, Mid Night Train to Georgia.

It was a lovely night. The freeway wasn’t crowded. The car slipped along the liquorice strip sweetly. 

I seriously couldn’t believe LouLou.

Sam and I went to bed at 9.30pm.