Colinton Road and the Reproachful Woman

[smokingboot]

Colinton Road is gorgeous. When I studied at Edinburgh, I lived in Morningside, forever associated with respectable ladies who take tea and give to charity, sort of Boho meets Miss Jean Brodie. Yesterday for the purposes of this consultation, I took the bus and revived a few memories. It's much wealthier now than then, though it always had that genteel sense about it. But because I didn't know the route to the clinic, I stepped off and walked the last 20 minutes to rediscover the glories of Colinton Road; I love Edward Calvert's work, what they call Scottish Baronial. When in doubt, stick a turret on it. Not sure? Try another one to balance it out. There, perfect.

I got there thanks to the Reproachful Woman. Having got on the wrong bus at least twice, I finally found one that went to Morningside. 'Not sure about the road,' the driver told me, but I definitely go to Colinton.'
'You don't go down Colinton Road,' the Reproachful Woman told him, 'You turn off at Holy Corner. Then she will have to walk.' She turned her face to me, and indicated the seat next to her. 'There are buses down that road, but I'd not wait on them if you're in a hurry. I'll tell you when you need to get off.'
I sat next to her and prepared for a chat, for this is the way of it here. People talk.
'It's a good service,' she said, 'if it can all go smoothly. But people not having the right change, or not knowing where they're going, can cause delay. Of course, that's exactly what you did.'
Oh no I could have groaned.
'It can be a bit difficult,' I replied, trying not to feel defensive, 'the information at the bus stops can be somewhat hard to make sense of.'
She nodded. 'Well, it's always there if people take trouble to read it. Ah you see? this is what does it!' An unfortunate woman stumbled onto the bus, asked the driver a question about the route and stumbled off again. 'There are drivers who refuse to deal with this kind of thing. They say 'the information is all at the bus stop,' and that's it!'
'Well then,' I replied, 'I was fortunate to have such a polite amicable driver.'
'Oh yes,' was her rejoinder, 'but these enquiries do make things slower, if you counted them all up together. It adds minutes on. I think you should be all right though,' she checked her watch. 'And now look, someone on their mobile phone. She could just have paid the driver and moved on. it all adds up. These mobile phones.' She ended just as my phone rang. It was an Amazon driver trying to find my house.
'Excuse me,' I said, as I answered it, 'it's someone trying to deliver something...'
She shook her head. 'They say the Post Office is going to have to close,' she reminded me. I hid in my call for a few seconds, then returned. By then, we were on the subject of mobile phones and their iniquities, the scams etc. She interrupted herself to say, 'Ah, here we are! Now then...' And she proceeded to give me very good instructions. I hopped off the bus giving her and the driver thanks, and she smiled faintly, as you might at a child you know means well but can't stay out of trouble.

I'd have loved to hang out on Colinton Road and take photos but it's a long road and I had no idea how far down it I would have to go before finding the place, despite the Reproachful Woman's doubtless excellent instructions. Turned out she was right again. Once there, things got properly moving. It's going to be x-ray and ultrasound and then... then, if it's what the consultant thinks, we move to treatment I am going to dislike enough not to discuss until I have to. But if it works it works.

The route back was so snarled up with traffic, I decided to walk it; can't have been more than 2 and a bit miles, if that. Which just goes to show how lockdown and covid plus this blasted tendon business have worn me out. I am stupidly exhausted.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

Your exchange with the Woman on the Bus is quite charming.

I am seeing a kind of supernatural short story here, a vengeful fairy who keeps watch over public transport.

[smokingboot]

Thank you, she was very nice in her way. Re the Angel of Public Transport, I'm not even convinced it's a fiction; that bus driver looked properly in awe of her.