Dylan sat at his desk in his office, reading the daily Times newspaper and sipping his coffee. As it was a Monday and there were usually few customers on Mondays, he decided to relax. After reading the paper, Dylan decided to get on with the papers on his desk, as he was already running out of space. As he closed the paper and put the cup on the table, his boss entered the office, papers in hand.
- Hello boss! - Dylan jumped out of his chair in surprise. - What, some jealous woman wants me to follow her husband again?
- No, not this time, orders have just come through for your transfer to the London Division. - Boss was wiped the sweat from brow and handed the document to Dylan.
- What? But why? - Dylan was surprised and began to read the document.
The document read: 'Hello Dylan Reid, we admire your service to our country and on this occasion we have decided to transfer you to the London Unit. We request that you arrive in London as soon as possible. You will be provided with a room at the Langham Hotel. Yours faithfully, the Acting Chief Constable of Great Britain". At the bottom of the page was the Chief Constable's seal.
- Well, can I go home and pack then? - Dylan asked.
- Yes, you can, but don't forget to pick up your work book from me tonight. I'll just have time to fill it in. - The boss said as he left the office.
Dylan quickly dressed and left the building. The weather outside was sunny. Dylan really wanted to walk home, but he was in a hurry to get his things as quickly as possible. After all, although he was leaving his home, parents and memories here in Manchester, moving to London had been a dream of his since childhood. He approached the carriageway to catch the porter.
- A horse for me! - Dylan shouted to the passing coachman.
- Where are we going? - he asked.
- John-Dalton Street - Getting into the carriage, Dylan replied.
An hour later, Dylan arrived home. He gave the coachman four pence. Dylan got out of the carriage and walked up to his house. It was a two-storey house. The low wooden fence had a gap through which children and animals often climbed. Dylan didn't have much time to fix the gap. As he approached the house, he looked at the mailbox, which had a rusty plaque with the house number "M3 2RP" on it. The red flag on it was down, which meant the postman hadn't been there yet. Dylan sighed and turned the key in the keyhole of the front door. He entered the house and took off his shoes and coat. Dylan went straight up to his room. Once in the room he opened his suitcase and started to put his things in. He planned to take the rest of his things with him as soon as he rented a house. Dylan put exactly half of his wardrobe in the case, as there was no room for more, as well as toiletries. He closed the case with difficulty and went into the kitchen to make some tea. After putting the kettle on, Dylan went to his office to get some documents. He put the documents in his bag and went into the kitchen to make some tea. As he sipped his tea, he began to think about how to get to London. The best option was to go to the train station and buy a ticket to London. After finishing his tea, Dylan got dressed and left the house. Closing the door, he caught a carriage and went to Manchester Piccadilly station. Twenty minutes later he arrived at the station. As he entered the station he saw a huge queue.
«Shit! What a huge queue, I wish I could buy a ticket in time for tonight.» - Thought Dylan.
He stood there for three hours. And then it was his turn.
- A ticket from Manchester to London, please. – Dylan said exhaustedly.
- Well, what date and time would you like it? – The girl asked sweetly.
- For tomorrow, 8 o'clock in the morning. – Dylan replied.
- That'll be 20 pennies. – Fill in the paperwork, said the girl. – Would you be so kind as to tell me your first and last name?
- Dylan Reid. – Fumbling for a penny in his pocket, Dylan replied.
- Here's your ticket – the girl handed Dylan the ticket.
He handed over 20 pennies and took the ticket. He said goodbye and left the station. There was still plenty of time before he decided to take one last walk through the streets of Manchester on his way to work. His job was in Redfern Street. It was a 15 minute walk from home. So he always walked to work while his colleagues took the bus. Twenty minutes later he approached Redfern Street. When he entered the building, he was surprised to see no one. He walked down the dark corridor to the boss's office. He was sitting at his desk filling out some paperwork.
- Hello, I've just finished filling in your employment history. – Tearing himself away from the letter, the boss said.
- Good evening, can I take it back then? – Dylan asked.
- Yes, of course, please. – The boss held out his work book.
After taking the book, Dylan said goodbye and went home. He wanted to get home as soon as possible so that he could go to bed as early as possible. So he decided to walk, as it would be quicker than taking the carriage in the evening. Ten minutes later, Dylan approached his house. Once inside, he went straight to cooking dinner. Thirty minutes later, dinner was ready. While the food cooled down, Dylan went to his bedroom to change into his pyjamas. After changing, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. When he finished his bath, he went into the kitchen and ate his dinner. Twenty minutes later he was in bed, getting ready for bed. It had been such a busy day that Dylan had not noticed how he fell asleep.
Frederick Hinez
