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Micheal
Michael stared bleakly at his train as it rushed past. For once, though, he was still on the platform. It felt strange. He always caught the 5.25 train home. For twenty years he had been catching that train. For twenty years he had been working for Johnson, Cleveland and Grayson Insurance – starting as a lowly office junior working up to his present position as junior partner. The train and the job were forever linked in Michael’s mind. It had been his whole life. Now it was over. He couldn’t face going home; getting on the train as if everything was fine, everything was normal.
The anger at his situation broke through his despair again. How dare they fire him?! Whatever had happened to innocent until proven guilty? After twenty years they still had the cheek to accuse him of fraud after finding just two sets of mismatching account paperwork. It was so obviously a set-up, but how could he prove who had planted the suspect files in his desk when he had no idea how to pinpoint the real culprit. Oh, he knew who it was. At least, he thought so. But, he had no proof. Besides, who would believe that Mr Cleveland’s son could be behind all this?
The two of them had been at school together. Thomas Cleveland had been a year above Michael and had delighted in making his school days a misery, just because he could. Thomas’ father had refused to make him a junior director straight out of university and had forced him to join the graduate scheme like everyone else. It had soon became clear that insurance had not been Thomas’ forte. Whilst Michael had easily glided up the corporate ladder, Thomas Cleveland had only reached the dizzy heights of a clerk. He had become bitter and twisted, and had soon begun to take out his frustration on Michael – an easy target. Michael had tried to ignore him as he had progressed in his career, and found less and less opportunity to have to deal directly with Thomas Cleveland. Still, that had not stopped the other man. Whenever he had the chance he had found little, petty ways to make his presence known to the other man. Spilling coffee on him or his papers when they passed in the hall, making sure that his paperwork got lost in the system occasionally, spreading rumours which luckily no-one ever believed. Michael was at a loss as to why Thomas hated him so much. At school, he had supposed that boys like Thomas had needed someone to pick on to make themselves look good. Now, Michael guessed that he represented Thomas’ failure – Thomas having been to university but unable to progress further than senior clerk, whilst Michael, who hadn’t been able to afford to go to university, had become a junior partner at the age of 36 through sheer hard work. So far Michael had quietly accepted Thomas’ behaviour towards him. He hadn’t really done any harm. But now, he had gone too far. Michael’s job meant everything to him and he wasn’t about to let Thomas Cleveland destroy it all for him.
Helen stared in surprise as she watched Michael from the window. Why wasn't he on the train, sitting opposite her as usual? Ignoring her as usual as she willed him to finally notice her? Despite the fact that she had never actually spoken to him, she looked forward to seeing him on her journey home as she would a light at the end of a long, empty tunnel. Every day for the past four months, since she had began this awful temp job at Johnson, Cleveland and Grayson – just for the money, you understand – she had seen him on the train. As they had both left the train, she had often thought to catch his eye, smile, or say a polite hello. But he always looked so self-assured, self-absorbed (but in a good, thoughtful way) that she had chickened out.
‘I’ll do it tomorrow’, had become her mantra. Now, it looked like tomorrow had been and gone and she had finally lost her chance.
An hour later and Michael was still sitting on the bench, fuming, stewing and trying to use his ‘infamous’ analytical mind to find a way out of this mess. He didn’t notice when it began to rain, and the cold wind became biting. He knew that he couldn’t move until he had found a solution. There had to be a solution. There was always a solution. Thomas Cleveland wouldn’t get away with this. He went over it again, going through his personal organiser for the tenth time in case he had missed anyone or anything. It was the only thing he had left. Of course, the contacts in it were nothing compared to others he had kept in his desk. But, he was hardly likely to be allowed access to them now, was he? They had taken his keys, his contact book, and had set about changing his computer passwords as soon as he’d been ‘escorted’ from the building. As if he were a common criminal. Sadly, Michael realised that that was exactly what he looked like.
As he thought about it, Michael could see how Thomas had arranged it all; but, he must have left some trace somewhere. It wouldn’t surprise him if Thomas really had been committing fraud, and had set Michael up so that, in addition to getting Michael fired, attention would be diverted away from him. Michael flicked through his organiser, and suddenly noticed a name that he had missed. Jack Watson. Maybe there was a way out of this sorry situation after all…
Helen couldn’t help thinking about the man from the train. He’d looked so sad and lost sitting there at the station, watching the train go past and so obviously wanting to be on it as usual. She hoped he was alright. She missed him. Although she really knew nothing about him, she felt like she did. Maybe, she thought, determinedly, if he ever appears back on this train, I really will go and talk to him.
Michael leapt up from his seat. At last! Glancing around him, he was surprised to discover that it was dark and he was soaking wet. It was still raining. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was already 7.30. He had been sitting at the station in the rain for two hours, and it had felt like ten minutes. Still, now he had a plan. He went to call Jack Watson.
Two hours later, Michael was back at the very office that, earlier, he had despaired of ever being allowed to enter again. Stamping his feet against the cold, and praying that this worked, he was disrupted from his thoughts by the approach of a small man in dark, scruffy clothes. The man suddenly broke into a large grin.
"Mickey!" he greeted.
"Hi Jack. Thanks for coming", Michael replied, pleased to see his old friend despite the circumstances. Jack was an ex-colleague of his, who had left the firm over five years ago. But Jack had been a good friend to Michael and the two had kept in contact. When Jack had left, he had confided in Michael that he still kept a spare pair of keys, ‘just in case’. Michael had frowned upon this at the time but had said nothing. As far as he knew, Jack hadn’t made use of those keys. Until now.
As they made their way to Thomas Cleveland’s office, Michael silently justified his crime to himself. After all, breaking and entering was nothing compared to fraud, and they weren’t about to steal anything. They would just search Thomas’ desk and computer to find proof that it was Thomas who was responsible for the fraud and not Michael. Then they would leave.
As the 5.25pm train arrived at the platform the next day, Michael stepped confidently onto it, regaining his natural place among the commuters. The rain had eased during the night, and that morning had brought some much-needed spring sun. It was still nice out now. As he took his usual seat, Michael thought about how relieved and pleased he was that his plan had worked. All the evidence they had needed had been right there on Thomas’ computer. He hadn’t even bothered to delete any of it, having been convinced that he was beyond suspicion. But, even Mr Cleveland had had to admit how damning the proof against his son was – much more so than the possible evidence against Michael. Thomas had been fired, and Michael given a formal apology and his job back.
Helen couldn’t keep a smile off her face as she noticed Michael settle into his usual seat opposite her, looking as confident and self-assured as ever.
‘Well’, she thought, ‘I guess I’ve been given a second chance. I have to talk to him’.
So saying, she approached Michael.
"Hi, can I, erm, sit here?" she asked, pointing to the spare seat next to Michael.
"Sure", he replied with a smile. Helen’s confidence grew.
"I, er, don’t know whether you’ve noticed me, but I always sit opposite you. I thought I would come over here and say hello", she said, sitting down.
"I have noticed you". It was true. He had noticed the pretty, nervous-looking woman opposite, and had always wondered whether he should have said something to her. But he never knew what to say. Today, though, he was full of confidence. Maybe he could do this.
"I’m Michael".
"Helen", she replied, smiling and glancing out of the window as the trees started to rush past. It looked to be a lovely evening.