Marinading

Someone described themselves today as ‘marinading’ in bed due to the sticky weather. Accurate.

My last day in Edinburgh and Michelle and I had a sunny walk along the lower reaches of the Water of Leith. I lugged myself to the station and as the train thundered towards the England border I read this postcard that Michelle had secreted, with great memories of our trip. Thanks go to her for plucking me out of limbo stagnation and helping me have a much-needed adventure.

Somewhere near Darlington we were static for about two hours because someone suspected a defective bit of southbound rail near Northallerton. As is customary in the UK, strangers only ever really talk to each other when there is a transport crisis to be indignant about.

I was sitting near a woman from Newcastle and a woman originally from Durban. The South African woman kindly offered me a hot chocolate and some beef Hula Hoops, which these days you can get delivered through an app without having to wobble down to the buffet car.

The three of us probably spanned the 30-40 age bracket, and we got chatting about Covid vaccines. They had both not taken up the invitation to book their appointments, which sound like they get more frenetic from the NHS the longer they’re ignored. They cited concerns over the effects and the speed with which the vaccine has been developed. These are popular views but bother me as the theories have been widely debunked by the scientific community; the vaccine technology being based on tried and tested methods.

They both expressed their desire to get the vaccine in the future, probably when it becomes a requirement for foreign travel, to do certain activities, and when any potential effects are better known. These positions reveal an individualism which doesn’t help us in the collective fight to contain Covid. If everyone took the stance of wanting others to be their guinea pigs, we would never control it. Although I still don’t agree it’s sensible, I would have more respect for people’s position on not taking the vaccine if their primary reasons weren’t selfish.

Thoughtfulness and care for others come in so many different forms. I wouldn’t offer a stranger a drink as generously as the woman on the train did, as I’m more insular and less friendly, but I couldn’t conceive of not taking the vaccine, because I care about society. It takes all sorts to make a world.

I felt like it was the right date to leave Edinburgh because I’ve been tracking my passport like a man possessed, and it was due to arrive in the post today. I was somewhat alarmed this morning when the Special Delivery showed as signed for, noting my name as the recipient. I was worried something had gone awry, and the least desirable thing would be for the passport to go missing at this stage.

Because of the train delay I was shunting baggage around on Stevenage and Letchworth Garden City station platforms around midnight before finally rolling into Cambridge close to 1am.

It was a major relief to find the passport envelope dangling from the letterbox, and inside the long-awaited Mozambique work visa stamp. Hurrah! Força! Vamos! Parabéns! Let’s do this.