This story was originally published in Positive Words magazine
A new phase of my life was beginning, I was in the workforce and living with my Aunty in Melbourne after having been brought up in various country towns in Victoria.
It was a big learning experience for me not having the support of my family and looking after myself.
My new career had commenced with a two month training course in the city. I travelled to and from home in the tram which was just outside the door of my Aunty’s apartment
Two weeks in to the course, all the banks had a sporting competition held at Olympic Park and the swimming complex after work hours. Several of the other people wanted to attend these sports and one of the girls offered. me her train ticket to the station nearest to where I lived as her parents would be picking her up after the sports.
I had not been on the train before and was a little apprehensive about accepting it.
I found my way to Flinders Street, checked the clocks for my departure platform and waited for the train. It was a new blue train. I hopped on and started checking the stations as we approached each one. I was not too confident and kept asking the lady near me to let me know when my station was near. Eventually she advised me my station was coming up. I stood up and walked toward the big doors. The train slowed and I tried to open the door, it was very difficult and as the train stopped I tried again, still not budging. I began to panic, I pushed at the door again and it finally opened but unfortunately the train had begun moving and I dropped out onto the platform. The train stopped. I was lying on the platform with a graze to my knee but otherwise intact.
People were hanging out the windows looking at me, it was very embarrassing and I started to cry. There was a lady on the gate collecting tickets and she rushed over to me and pulled me to my feet. The train had left by this time and I was the only one on the platform. The lady checked that nothing was broken and sat me down and gave me a glass of water from the fountain on the platform. I was still shocked and shaken.
She asked me where I lived and I told her that it was on the nearest main road so she said that she would drive me home
The ticket collector was a very big lady, looking like a comedy film star I had seen in my movie magazines. She drove her car to the bottom of the ramp and escorted me down. I was most surprised to see that she was the proud owner of one of the smallest two door cars I had ever seen, she put me in the passenger seat and squeezed in to the driver seat and took me home.
She knocked on the door and Aunty opened it to be greeted by a very sheepish niece and a stranger. The ticket collector explained what had happened and went on her way.
I did not feel like any dinner so Aunty put me to bed with a hot water bottle and and a cup of tea.
When I went back to training school the next day the others were talking about the events at the sports which they had enjoyed immensely.
I told them of my misadventure and said that in future I would stick to travelling by tram.