Ricci Schwarzler - Return

It was by way of return that I stumbled on my old school enemy at the train station. I had been travelling and working for 10yrs. It was time to come home and settle in to running my parent’s cattle station. They had been so kind to allow me the freedom to have a life of my own and now that they were getting on I wanted to be there for them. They had never implied that I had to run the station but I wanted to do it and do it well.

There she was Karen What’s Her Name. I couldn’t even remember her surname and it made me happy. She was a bully and a horrid person. We locked eyes and I was going to turn away when she smiled and came rushing over.

‘Oh Chloe is that you? Wow where have you been? I’ve heard you were travelling? What on earth could have kept you travelling for that amount of time? Are you going to settle down? Are you going to have kids?’ and on it went. Question after question without the need or interest of a reply. I just stood there and listened to her droning on.

‘Oh I bet you haven’t done as well as me. I’m married to a very rich man. I remember when you said you wouldn’t marry for money…hahaha how funny. And now here I am loaded. We have two cars and a house and we go to Sydney for a holiday once a year. I bet you’ll be jealous and never do as well as me. You were never very good at getting wealthy boyfriends. Remember that one you had that worked at the pet rescue. He’d never amount to anything. Imagine just looking after dumb animals.’

I stood and stared at her and couldn’t believe after all these years she was just as pathetic as always. I hated her then and I hated her now. I stared some more, and hoped that something horrid would befall her. But then shook myself and said, ‘Sharon…’

‘Karen’ she corrected me with obvious annoyance.

‘Oh Karen…oh was that your name…haha funny. Anyway Sharon…you were a horrid, nasty, spiteful person back then and you seem to have changed…not at all. Wow I can’t believe how incredibly wealthy you are…two cars. Be careful you don’t spend it all at once. Now I’ve returned, please make sure you understand this. I didn’t want your company then and I don’t want it now. Go away.’

With that she stood open mouthed and staring at me. Another couple of people I recognised who were standing nearby were laughing their heads off. I’ve returned, I thought to myself, and I can see her even more clearly than I did back then. I turned on my heels and walked off. I looked back. She was so stunned she tripped into the path of the departing train…and just missed being killed.

Bugger.