PUSH AND SHOVE

PUSH AND SHOVE

It just rang, and rang, and rang, much to Craig`s annoyance as all he wanted to do was eat his sandwich in peace. Eventually, though, he picks it up and looks at the screen and `Jayne` could be clearly seen. “Alright, alright, heard you the first ten times you phoned” he says through an exasperated sigh as dressed only in a T-Shirt and shorts, leaves the kitchen and his mobile on the table, and answers the front door.

“Oh, hallelujah, it`s alive then. Haven`t you noticed that I`ve been phoning you for God knows how long now” a very irritated Jayne asks glaring at Craig with her long reddish-brown hair and red raincoat both glistening from the fine misty rain which was still pouring.

“Oh right, you`ve made it then, nice one” he says as he begins to turn and head back towards the kitchen.

“Whoa, hang on you!” Jayne cries out stopping Craig dead-in-his-tracks. “Aren`t you going to help me inside then? I`m in a wheelchair in case you haven`t noticed.”

“Well, yeah, of course I`ve noticed that, but it`s raining” he says.

“Oh my God, don`t you think I know that” she cries out.

“Err, yeah, I suppose you do” he says as reluctantly, he takes tentative steps outside into the fine misty rain, which he didn`t really like at all, and pushes Jayne into his house, ensuring that the door is firmly shut behind him.

“So, what would you like, tea or coffee? he asked, pushing her towards the kitchen.

1

‘Haven`t you got anything stronger? Could do with something to warm up my bones” she says.

“I`ve got a bottle of Brandy somewhere around….”

“Oh, that sounds good, not normally a Brandy, but I`ll make an exception today” Jayne says with her eyes suddenly lit up, only for Craig to dim them straight down again.

“But I was actually saving it for a special occasion.”

“What. Like me coming to visit you” Jayne says in hope, but all hope were soon to be dashed as Craig switches on the kettle and fills two cups with coffee before asking. “Sugar?”

“Just the one, and not too much milk” Jayne tells him somewhat disappointedly as she begins to look more closely at him and was hardly impressed by the now slightly damp attire of just shorts and T-Shirt as then, without any decorum, he just puts her coffee down to her. “Thanks” she says taking her first sip without any intention, just yet, of taking off her coat.

“How was your train journey?” he asks.

“Had worse” she answers with a shrug of her shoulders.

“It`s good to finally meet you in person” he says with a smile.

“Is it?” she asks, not entirely convinced.

“Well, yeah, of course it is. Definitely been intrigued by you over these past few weeks we`ve been talking” he tells her truthfully.

2

“Intrigued. Oh, okay, been called a lot worse in my time but you don`t think I`m gorgeous, sexy, or even pretty?” she asks, catching Craig completely unaware.

“No, no, of course you`re pretty, very pretty in fact, I just meant that in my experience in using these dating sites, don`t get many, well, let`s say disabled people on them, in fact, I think that you`re the first one that I`ve ever come across” he says hoping that he`s redeemed himself slightly.

“Okay, suppose that`s fair enough” she says after making him sweat for a minute or two.

“Phew, that`s alright then, would hate to think if I`d offended you or anything like that” he says.

“It`s okay, you`re good” she tells him.

“Great, cause I`d hate to think that what we`d been talking about would have all gone to waste” he says.

“Talked about?” she asks.

“Yeah, you know, what we`ve been talking about” he says with a wink. “You can`t have forgotten surely. I`ve even got the bedroom all arranged to make it easily accessible for you.” Jayne hadn`t forgotten, it was just at this exact point in time, she seriously had to question whether or not she was doing the right thing.

“Well, you`ve hardly made much of an effort really Craig, have you, let`s be honest now” she says.

3

“How`d you mean?” he asks.

“You`re not even dressed” she quickly points out.

“Well, with what we had planned for this afternoon, there wasn`t much requirement for clothing as I seem to recall” Craig was quick to point out himself before he let his mouth rule his brain. “Which, if I remember rightly and I`m pretty certain that I do, you were very keen on the idea also which is no big shock really because let`s face it, being the way that you are, I doubt very much you get many offers.” He sits there, finishing his coffee with a quick raise of the eyebrows and if Jayne did have any lingering doubts about today, they very quickly vanished.

“You think that I don`t get many offers? You serious about that? Because let me tell you something, I get more than you think I do as even on my here, probably less than thirty minutes ago now, I was with a man who willing to push all the way here from the train station regardless if he got wet, didn`t matter to him, and that was the very same train station which you couldn`t even be bothered to meet me at. I was only with him for about what, ten, fifth teen minutes at the most, but in that time, he showed me not just respect, but more kindness than any man that I`ve ever met, especially you. And in case you`re wondering, he did give me his number, just in case things didn`t go right with you. He must have been psychic as I now know what`s really important to me and what I need in my life, and it certainly isn`t this. What the hell was I thinking? I might be paraplegic, but certainly not desperate. Right, if you wouldn`t mind opening the front door for me, I`ll be off now and trust me, I won`t be contacting you again and don`t bother contacting me either, as you`re now blocked.”

4

She didn`t even want to finish her coffee as a now slightly confused Craig could clearly see, so he wasted no time in carrying out her wish and there may have been a few bumps along the way, but Jayne negotiated her way out of the house and was so relived to be out of there despite the still fine misty rain coming down, she still had her raincoat on, she knew she`d be alright as taking out her mobile and mutters when dialing. “07705069288” it only rings the once before it goes straight to voicemail.

“Hiya Paul, it`s Jayne, we met just a little while ago when very kindly gave me a push by the train station. Guess what, my date, if you could call it that didn`t work out so, was wondering, if you could come and meet me if you wanted to, maybe grab a drink or bite to eat or both alright, be nice to hear from you again.” She doesn`t put it back into her coat pocket but keeps it covered by her hands and just stays rooted to the spot, even though she felt yet another soft, downfall of the fine misty rain totally covers her, she began to smile as she felt her phone begin to vibrate in her hands.

5