I’ve always liked getting the train. Due to my work and the need to transport heavy kit all over the country I seem to spend more time on the road which is fine, but the train is just more… interesting. Firstly I don’t have to pay attention to what I’m doing, secondly someone brings tea every half hour or so (alright maybe every two hours!) and thirdly, and most importantly, the train is simply teeming with life, characters and all kinds of stories.
Right now I’m on a train between London and Edinburgh: two capitals, two International cities of huge cultural significance and wide ranging ethnicity. People from every walk of life can be found whiling away the hours in the packed carriage, surrounded by life but enthralled in their own little world.
Across the aisle a man in a silk tie tuts and turns the page, his head hidden behind some political headline of the day, his briefcase open beside him; an apple prominent amongst the crisp paperwork inside. Beside him a student sleeps, a textbook strewn across the table either in bitter frustration or bored despondency. Across the table the businessman; smart and authoritative as he taps away on his computer keyboard and sips at a Starbucks coffee – a tiny dark shirt stain evidence of his rush to reach his seat, our eyes never meeting despite our proximity. Behind him row after row stare at the screens of their phones, many adorned with white earphones producing the not-quite inaudible buzz of music mixed with the often louder grinding of teeth as those surrounding them struggle to contain their irritation.
An elderly couple catch the eye, sharing a homemade sandwich as they struggle with the day’s crossword puzzle. He pulls the paper back and forth, adjusting his spectacles as he does, whilst she breaks a muffin in two and offers it affectionately forth. At the opposite end of the carriage a young couple argue in muffled tones, ignored by all around them. People, stories, lives; each one unique.
So why am I sharing this on a public wedding forum? Well, it’s because of Pippa. “Who’s Pippa?” you might ask, and in truth the question is a poignant one because I don’t honestly know who she is save for the merest glimpse of her character. There’s always one person on the train that doesn’t realise how loud they become when speaking on the phone, it’s a simple fact of life. Today that person is Pippa, and try as I might I can’t help but overhear every word.
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I didn’t really notice her at first; though certainly attractive she seemed keener than most to maintain her anonymity, hiding behind a book: a classic, her body language protective. As her ringtone cuts suddenly through the background chatter just a little too loudly she seems embarrassed. Her voice is hushed, her tone dulcet as she addresses her friend, her voice sinking back into the background unidentifiable amidst the crowd. Then, quite suddenly, something sparks an excitement in her that lifts her voice above the rest, makes her forget her inhibitions and makes her voice somehow sparkle.
“I know, i’m so excited, I just can’t believe it!! It’s really soon, we’re just going for it, oh my god I have SO MUCH PLANNING TO DO!!!”
This shy creature transforms instantly, literally buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The high-pitched conversation (though one-sided from my perspective) is free and eager, barely pausing to catch a breath.
“Oh my god I saw this amazing Bridesmaid’s dress the other day, I can’t wait for you to see it, you’re going to look amazing and I saw these shoes with this gorgeous kind of floral almost like a broach on them and we’re going to tie it in with the bouquet and, I know he’s so sweet isn’t he, yeah I’ve really missed him, I’ve got to get him sorted too, you’re going to have to help though I have NO IDEA about mens stuff, yeah I was thinking grey, not like really formal but quite traditional and…”
The conversation went on for some time, the broadest of smiles reflected in the window as I gazed at the landscape whizzing by, her hands waiving with such vigorous animation I feared for the safety of the passing ticket collector. Striving to give her a little privacy as the conversation flitted between the flowers, the venue, the table decorations, the honeymoon, I decided to head to the catering car and find some light refreshment. Wandering through the identical carriages and further rows of headphone-clad passengers I experienced an odd deja vu. A high-pitched voice, rapid talking, excitement , happiness… another carriage, another conversation, another wedding. Though the Bride may be different the smile was identical; the ideas varied but the theme was the same. Unbeknownst to one another these two were united in joy at a simple fact: for both of these beaming passengers, soon it would be their wedding day.
I retook my seat as Pippa hung up the phone and paused, a gentle smile still lighting her delicate features. Her body language had changed, no sign of the shrunken figure hiding betwixt the pages of her book I had earlier observed. As the phone rang again and a name appeared on the screen an even broader smile broke out. “Hey you, I’m nearly there, I can’t wait to see you… I love you.”
Many question the importance of getting married in this modern age, declare the wedding a mere legal formality, a pointless expense. To those people I say take out the earphones, put down the newspaper and look around you at the pure happiness a wedding can bring. It’s not just the wedding day, it’s the anticipation, the planning the build-up and the memories. From the day of the proposal through to the day you show the grandkids those precious photographs it’s a truly remarkable and transformative event. It’s a time of joy, an insuppressible smile in a sea of hidden faces and half glances.
I hope that smile never fades. Have an amazing wedding Pippa.
