connection

I was sitting with a friend in a factory above a vast vat where pasta sauce was being cooked and stirred by a machine. There were stainless steel surfaces everywhere and the hum of industry filled our ears. We were talking intimately - about what I cannot recall. I imagined falling into the pasta sauce below and drew in my breath sharply - the picture in my mind was far too clear. My friend wondered what was wrong and I explained that I had an extremely vivid imagination. It was time to go home as the day had turned to night and I needed to meet B at home. I tried to call her but was instead connected to a radio station where I could hear a close friend of mine conducting a radio program. I was delighted to speak with him and find out what he was up to.
I walked home - home was the house my family built in Newcastle when I was a child only now B and I lived there as adults. I had cooked dinner earlier and I was anxious about her coming home from work. It was dark and late so I tried to call her on my mobile phone, standing across the road from home. I repeatedly dialled the wrong number and had to dial again. I couple of times I was connected but was disconnected again. I tried calling from a public phone booth, also directly across the road from our house, but couldn't get through. I tried calling my ex-partner, urgent for someone to come home. I could see the golden lights of my home, shining through the windows. Several people had gathered around me - a few men and one or two women - who were keen to spend some time with me and keep me company. I felt a confusing mix of emotions: I was worried about B as it was now one o'clock in the morning; I was not sure that I wanted these people in my home though they were nice; and I was growing weary. I went across the road, actually entering the house for the first time. There was a small group of men in the lounge room, watching television quietly. I walked into the kitchen, intending to try to call again. I looked at the clock and was again surprised by the lateness of the hour.