Oxygen

Oxygen

Jane was on her way to work.
 
Crap! I’m going to be late again.
 
As Jane rushed down the street she saw something.
 
Oh my God! A beggar! I don’t think I’ve ever seeing one before.
 
She stopped her headlong rush to get to work.
 
“What happened to you?” She said to the old woman on the sidewalk.
 
“I was going to get my emergency supply of Oxygen and my car broke down.”
 
Jane looked at her watch again.
 
Crap I’m going to be really really late!
 
“Please help me,” said the old woman.
 
Something about the woman tugged at Jane’s heart.
 
“Here take this,”  Jane said, handing the old woman her spare Oxygen bottle.
 
“Thankyou! Thankyou so so much!”
 
Jane left and headed to work.
 

#

 
 
 
“Jane you’re late again.”
 
“Sorry MR Kent.”
 
“No need be sorry Jane, your fired!”
 
“What? No God please? Where will I get my Oxygen from?”
 
“Get it from wherever you like. Its not the 20th Century where Oxygen grew on trees you know.” He smiled a cold callous smile.
 
“I’m stopping your Oxygen as from now.”
 
“MR Kent, you can’t I don’t have enough Oxygen to make it home to my emergency supply!”
 
“Well you should have thought of that before you were late.”
 
Jane left the office in tears, carrying her nearly empty bottle of oxygen.
 
I got to call Garry.
 
Jane dialled the number on her mobile.
 
“Hi mum, how are you?”
 
“Not good Garry, I been sacked and don’t have enough Oxygen to get to my emergency supply back at home.”
 
“What happened to your spare emergency supply?”                                                        
 
“You won’t believe this but I gave it to a beggar.”
 
“You did what?...Why?”
 
"I'm sorry Garry I made a mistake."
 
"A beggar? Not heard of one of them before. They all died out at he beginning of this new century when trees stopped growing."
 
"I know...It was stupid and I regret it so so much now." She took a deep breath and a tear rolled down her cheek. She paused to wipe the tear then continued “It was my spare emergency supply. I don’t have another with me and I’m running dangerously low.”
 
“I can meet you at Sue’s diner in 40 minutes if you can get there, I should have a large bottle of spare Oxygen which should be enough to get you home and to your emergency supply.”
 
Jane stared at the small bottle of Oxygen she was holding.
 
I should just have enough to make it there.
 
“OK, thanks a million! See you there in 40 minutes.”
 
“Ok, see you then.”
 
Jane walked as fast as she could trying to hold her breath and only breath when she had to.
 
My Oxygen is now at 900 millilitres, will pay the bus 500 millilitres and should just have enough to make it to Sue’s diner.
 
A few minutes later Sue was at the bus stop.
 
Come on! You stupid blasted bus where are you?
 
Jane looked at the small bottle of Oxygen in her hands.
 
It’s going down way to fast! My hearts pumping like no tomorrow, and I feel so sweaty.
 
Eventually she saw the bus in the distance. 
 
Flipping come on!
 
A few minutes later the bus pulled up.
 
Jane boarded and attempted to pay, by holding her Oxygen bottle over the ‘Oxygen meter’ on the bus.
 
“Sorry lady, You need 500 millilitres of Oxygen to catch this bus and you only have 400.”
 
“What? Oh God no!” panic gripped her. “It was 300 yesterday!”
 
“Price has gone up.”
 
Jane turned to look at the other occupants on the bus.
 
“Please…Please…Somebody help me?”
 
No reaction at all.  The other passengers just turned their heads away.
 
Then Jane saw the old lady.
 
“I gave you my emergency supply!” 
 
The old lady looked at Jane as if Jane wasn’t there. Nothing, no note of acknowledgement, not even a whimper…Nothing...
 
Scammer! I been scammed. That old lady never had a car!
 
“You can’t pay. Get of the bus lady.”
 
“Please…”
 
A stern menacing look.
 
“Off lady.”
 
Jane stepped of the bus.
 
My Oxygen is now at 300, I’m never going to make it
 
Jane dialled her son. Garry answered.
 
“Garry! I can’t make it to Sue's, I didn’t have enough Oxygen to pay the driver.”
 
“Where are you mum?” She heard the fear and tension in his voice.
 
Jane gave her location.
 
“Hold tight mum, I will be there as soon as I can.”
 
The call finished and Jane sat down on the sidewalk and stared at the little bottle of Oxygen in her hands slowly depleting.
 
Some time later.
 
I feel dizzy, like I’m going to pass out.
 
The sun was setting. Jane stared at the orangey glow, marvelling at its beauty,
 
A bus!
 
She saw a bus in the distance and knew that Garry was on it.
 
The bus came nearer and nearer. The bus was now about 40 metres away.
 
Jane collapsed.
 
A few moments later the bus stopped.
 
“Mum! Mum!” screamed Garry.
 
He pulled her old Oxygen bottle of her and in its place put new full bottle.
 
“Mum! Please….Please wake up!”
 
 
The End.