I hadn't been on a train before. I mean, there was no reason to be on one. I had basically lived in Cardiff all my life and the only means of transportation I needed was Mummy's car and the occasional bus. You know, I really used to think that train rides were super cool, that is, until this day.
"Uh. Come on Mummy, let's go already. We're gonna miss it!" This was an eight year old me whining about missing the morning train to Mummy. Obnoxious much? I softly bumped my forehead on her lower back repeatedly and groaned on and on.
"Not working, huh? You leave me no choice, woman. Time to unleash my secret weapon," I thought. I then came from behind and stood in front of her and looked up to her with sad eyes and continuous whimpering. Mummy always told me I had beautiful eyes. Little did she know that I'd been practicing tirelessly to perfect my sad eyes move. "Hehehe."
"I'm coming Gregg. We're not gonna miss the train," said Mummy, still combing her beautiful long afro hair.
Well, that was a surprise. She was obviously getting used to my secret weapon because she only looked down at me for about half a second before carrying on to comb her hair and looking at her white and red flowered dress in the wall mirror.
Mummy's hair was very soft. She didn't plait her hair like most black women did but loved her hair to grow without disturbances. She was also a fitness freak with a slick physique.
"Aiit. I'm done," said Mummy after dropping her lip gloss.
"Arrgh. Finally!," I looked to the ceiling and exclaimed. I was already sitting on her bed with my head resting on my palm. I then picked up my red backpack and left the room to go get Lex, our Golden Retriever dog. After a while, the three of us left home.
Now we had gotten into the train and had been there for about two and a half hours. It was filled with people. Looked like a lot of folks planned to travel from Cardiff to Manchester on the same day. Even in the midst of the train's wheels' rolls, there was still peace and quiet everywhere. "Cool! It's just like in the movies," I thought when I got into the train.
We now had about one more hour to remain on the train. It was at this last hour that I felt so uncomfortable. I wiggled about the seat I sat on with sweat dropping from my face. I looked up at Mummy who sat beside me with my squeezed face. She was too busy on her laptop to notice me. Oh no, I had to tell her. I had to tell her immediately. Or else...
"Mummy," I whispered.
"What is it Gregg?" Mummy said this and removed the headphones she wore from her ears and put them round her neck.
"I gotta go poo!"
"Watcha telling me for? Go use the bathroom!"
"Shh, come on Mummy. You don't gotta say it out loud," I motioned to her while tapping her lap repeatedly.
"(sigh). The bathroom's at the end of the corridor"
I instantly stood up and walked briskly towards the end of the train corridor. I must have been pressed for about twenty minutes already. I nervously looked to the ground at my blue sneakers while walking until I got to the bathroom door.
Oh, thank goodness! I got into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I didn't think trains had bathrooms. I rushed to lock the bathroom door quickly so I could finally get some rest. What a relief that was, that is, until I turned around and I saw it there!
A gecko on the toilet seat!
Eight year old me quickly unlocked the bathroom door, got out, shut it back and walked briskly back to where Mummy and Lex sat. I tapped Mummy.
"Yo, Mummy."
"(sigh). What is it again, Gregg?" I interrupted her work again.
"There's a gecko on the toilet seat," I said, pointing to the end of the corridor.
"You've watched too much of that PJ Masks show, huh?"
"No, that was one time. I'm serious now. There's actually a gecko on the toilet seat."
"Scare it away then. I'm busy Gregg, alright?" As Mummy said this, she put on her headphones and turned back to her work.
I just stood there embarrassed and moreso, really uncomfortable. I then looked at Lex who stood on my seat and looked at me.
"Hey boy. You mind coming over to the bathroom and help me fix a little problem?"
No, Lex didn't understand English but he gave me a face. If he did speak English then I'd bet he was telling me;
"you crazy dawg."
Source
"Oh, now you don't feel like sniffing the toilet huh?" I whispered to him. Lex then turned his face away from me and looked out the window.
I turned back once more, looked towards the end of the corridor and clenched my sweaty palms. "Come on man, it's just a tiny gecko. Be a man," I thought. Now I walked briskly again with a much more angry looking face. Some people on the train now looked wondering who this young black kid on blue that was quickly going the second time to go use the bathroom was.
I stood at the door for a moment with my face down. Then, I grabbed the door handle once more, opened the door quickly and shut it back. Then I turned around again. Yup, she was still there. Of course I knew the gecko was a she. I could tell because she deliberately rolled her eyes at me. Oh, she was making fun of me, I could tell!
"Shoo! shoo!," I said while flinging my hand to scare it away. It didn't even move an inch. It must have known that I was afraid of it. I bet it must have been thinking, "bro, just come over and take a poop."
I opened the bathroom door, got out instantly, walked to my seat and sat down with Lex laying on my lap. Mummy looked at me and asked,
"Are you done pooping, dear?"
"Naaa. On second thought, I think I'll go potty when we get there."
Okay, I actually got the idea of a guy named Gregg and a train before the prompt was released. But then, after the prompt was released and we were told to create an antagonist, I just picked a gecko cause we've been seeing a lot of geckos over here recently 😅. Hope you guys enjoyed it.
all unsourced images were edited by me on Canva