Late

Today I am late. Super late. I missed the first train. And then I even missed the next train half an hour later with the door closing literally just as I reached it. Proper movie scene. A second earlier and I would have been in.

And my initial reaction to all this? Absolutely fuming as I sit here on the platform waiting for the next train in half hour. It’s Ramadan. Keep your cool.

The frustration is we (mostly my wife) did almost all the things possible last night to prepare for a smooth start. Kids clothes, bags, work clothes, work bag.

Nothing prepares you for the kids moods in the morning though. One day it might be kids are up on their own and smiling and calling you the best dad in the world. Another day , like today, it’s sobbing at Volume 10, tears the size of marbles. ‘I want mum!’ Ok fine.

Mums not feeling well today.

Ok fine, Mum will help you get ready.

Ok, things are rolling, it’s going ok.

They’re fed.

They’re changed.

Teeth are being brushed.

And then comes the arch nemesis. The mother of all frustration with my two little ones.

The bloody socks! Can’t find any socks. And if I do find one it’s a bloody odd sock. My son whips his socks off the moment you put them on. And if by some miracle they’re on for a few minutes, once he realises they’re on they WILL come off and be sent to a parallel universe never to be found again. Sock rant over.

Next, drop kids to nursery. Ok, i’m still feeling alright at this point. I’ll probably miss the 8.17 train but i can get the 8.47 after drop off. I’ll miss the stand up but I don’t have any other major meetings this morning so should be alright. Not letting anyone down.

Nursery drop done after some parking drama. Cost me about 10 mins. Also kerbed rear wheel in the process. It’s getting tight for the 8.47 but still doable. Normally I would walk to the station from the nursery but my wife kindly offered to drop me. Thanks, i’ll take that.

Ok, feeling good, I should get there with a few mins to spare. Nah mate. Traffic. No faster than crawling. Ok, let’s take the back roads which will take me to the back entrance and then I can do a mini sprint and still make it. Got to the station. I can hear the train approaching. I can see it now. Opened the train app…You must print your tickets. Why?! Why are we still using paper tickets in 2025? Most days, the app presents a barcode to scan at the turnstiles. Easy. But today? Print your tickets you late man. You, Mohammed Omar Faruq, you listen up. Today you WILL and MUST be late.

Thank you to my wife for putting up with me and my frustrations this morning. Alhamdulillah for everything in all conditions.