Interview with Mrs Murrow

Yes, I was on the train quite late, on my way to New York I was. Going to visit my sister she’s not very well at the moment, and this was the only ticket I was able to lay my hands on. The train was quite empty except for this one dear young man. You mentioned it was, well, Holden Caulfield? Sorry, I don’t recall anyone by that name. But on the train, the only person I did meet was Rudolf Schmidt—a bit strange to my liking, though he went to Pencey Prep, I thought that was nice anyway. Well dear, that sounds like that could have been him, did he really have a brain tumour removed, poor thing. Yes, well, he was a bit touched in the head, anyway. I mean… he offered me a cigarette; he must smoke a lot because the case was almost empty. Yes yes, he was a strange boy, he also asked me if I wanted to get a cocktail with him in the club car—I don’t even think he was old enough and it was about 3 in the morning, it would be closed for goodness sake. He was saying that he would be able to get in on account of his “grey hair”, really. (Disappointed face). Tut tut . (shakeshead).
One funny thing about him was he started to talk about my boy, Ernest, but Rudolf...um I mean ,what was it …Holden, started to talk about this nonsense that he was running for class president, but surely my boy Ernest, would have told me about it, he writes me every Sunday, yes that’s him. Mmm.(nodding head)
Bit cheeky though…ermm Holden he was, mind you, my son can be as well sometimes probably picked it up from some of those kids at Pencey, though the boy couldn’t have made up all those stories he told to me about Ernest…could he?
He told me he lots of pretend things (shakes head) I’m mean there was so many of them. About my Ernie being shy n’ modest and all, he’s not that shy, is he? Well then, poor dear (looks into space)
If you ask me the boy Holden, could have been a total nutcase, if you ask me, he kept looking at me as if I was 16 again, boy, he was strange. Now I come to think of it, I don’t think he had a brain tumour after all, on account he was most surely lying about everything else. Thank goodness. Then what was he doing out of school before they let you out for the Christmas holidays. Oh! He didn’t get thrown out did he, poor thing. I feel terrible for him, his parents too. I wonder what they’ll have t’ do. I wonder what I’d do if my Ernie got the ax.
D’y’know what I remember that his nose was bleeding, I don’t know why but it makes me feel a bit funny so I told him in the end. I guess that anyone would have anyway. Bit peculiar if you ask me though.

An Old Student of Mine Again

I decided to embark my daily walk around two. It was a serene stroll down all that hustle and bustle by the train station. It was pretty gloomy outside and I always had an inkling that it would rain, but I went out anyway. Soon enough it did, then it started to rain profusely, throwing down buckets at a time. I rushed over to the nearest place I could see—the train station café. I waited just inside the door for a few long minutes by then decided to sit down because the rain wasn’t going to stop any time soon. So, I lackadaisically stalked over to an empty table near the back and ordered some water, I felt quite dehydrated for some reason. I sat back and a look around and saw not many people: a dark woman in a beige coat, two nuns clad in their uniforms, and… oh, it was Holden Caulfield—wearing a funny read hat of some sort with a grimace on his face. I hadn’t seen him since he was in my class a few years ago; I could remember him from anywhere, always doing the most unusual things. I gingerly walked over to him and said in a very nervous yet affable voice,”Hey, Holden, is that you boy?” he spun around and said, “Oh…uhh yea it’s me, nice to see you again miss…” I quickly interrupted him—though I’m sure he still didn’t remember my name anyway—and said, “Yes, it’s nice to see you again, how have you been?” He replied as I endeavoured to shake his hand, “quite well actually, been moving around a lot to lots of places, one where there was quite a few ducks. Oh well, I best be of then, I wouldn’t want to be late.“ He smiled and nodded and quietly walked away. Now that evoked memories from when he was always making excuses in my class, they pervaded my mind for a few seconds. I thought that was quite a cursory encounter but it didn’t really matter, he wasn’t my best student anyway. Then I shook those thoughts away and went to sit down.