the two one nine

Late afternoon in a large northern city.  Several people are waiting, including two women in their fifties.  

1 speaks to 2

Sometimes I come here and it's dark. 

I always give it five minutes.  Whether it's dark or not. 

Five minutes. At least. At least five minutes. Sometimes, longer. 

You have to these days.

(pause)

If one doesn't come, I'll shout up to Mrs. Barnes.

She can see you see. She doesn't mind.

She can see, whether it's dark or not. She can see all the way to the terminus. From her upstairs. 

The upstairs. Her Alf used to have it for his trains, but since he's passed, she's gone back to it. Packed it all away she did. It's just for her now, upstairs. She's had it all done out since.

(pause)

So I call her. I shout up. 

Sometimes she's already there. She can see if it's left. She can see if it's set off from up at the terminus. 

(pause)

That's the one-one-four though.

Sometimes a sixty-three comes first. It depends. 

The big problem with the sixty-three is market days. They make Division Street one way. It's for the vans. 

It drops you at Boots. You've got a long walk from there.

(long pause)

The one-one-four drops you right outside the door.  But they're not as regular. They're not as regular as the sixty-threes. 

If it's not dark, I sometimes walk on to the corner to see if there's a queue for the two-one-nine. 

I don't like walking down there in the dark. So I come back quick. If it's dark. 

I have a quick look round the corner.

If there's a queue, I'll know there's a two-one-nine due. Otherwise I come back quick to save my place. You never know. There's all Indians moved in see. Everywhere around here they are.

If them blacks see you've left, they won't keep your place. 

(pause)

Have you seen?

They're pulling down the old cattle market.