The train brakes made an alarming, shrill shouting as the enormous machine stopped at the train station. Bethany dragged her burgundy-colored suitcase out of the train, and it bounced down on the platform as if it was actually attending to tear its so far flawless surface. Not quite the entry she had planned to make. She starred at the gigantic clock in the middle of the station. Actually there were three of them, facing in each their direction. But from her position she could only see one of them. 10 AM it said. She stood still and watched the train rumble on as it left the station. She had travelled for so long, it seemed. That train had brought her 98 miles away from Framlingham. That noisy, smelly machine seemed closer to a home than this roaring city would ever do.
If it was not for John, she would probably never have gone to London. To be honest, she was not very impressed by the bigger cities. It was as cloudy here as it was in Framlingham, the air was heavy with the smell of rain, rain which just waiting for its chance to combine the ground and the sky with gallons and gallons of water. They were supposed to meet at the Subway Gallery. She took the railway heading towards Egdware ground. From there she could easily walk to the Subway Gallery. As far as she knew, he lived near the Waterloo station. They had never met, but judging from the sound of his voice on the phone, his kind words in the thousands of mails he had written, he was the one and only. He would take the subway, and they would meet to see if it would ever work between them.
Bethany walked out on the street and noticed, once again, how different London was to everything she knew. It was the capital of England, but she had never been there before, not even once. She had to admit that the old buildings looked stunning with their simple brickwork and yet scrolled details. She looked up and the sun seemed dazzling white. It blinded her, and with dark spots dancing in her field of vision, she didn’t even see him. He was standing in front of the gallery. Right on time, and just as perfect as she had found his picture. He didn’t even seem small next to the Subway Gallery. He was tall and good-looking. Flawless in every single way. Bethany noticed that her thoughts sounded like a voice-over from a horrible movie. She smiled to herself. What a silly little girl she was acting like.
Without a word they took each other’s hands and walked slowly down the street as if they had known each other for years. He told her about how he would show her London. Every single part of it, from the London Eye to a tiny little café he knew downtown. Oh, and the London Bridge! His words were filled with passion as he told her about his city. That was what he called it. In the distance she could see the London Eye. She smiled to herself.