You see my friend when the railway was constructed there were already houses in place

The engineers had to get around the problem

I was sitting on the pavement outside of a newsagents shop with Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was the vicar of St Matthews

The plan that they came up with was ingenious

What do you see?

The twenty-eight arches of the viaduct with the houses beneath

None of the houses has a roof

Each of the arches acts as a roof to the house beneath it

Did the residents not complain about the noise of the trains?

No

Why?

There were not so many trains in those days

Andrew’s wife Valerie waved from the other side of the busy road

She was wearing a maroon dress

I knew that she was bisexual and was sleeping with my sister

I often joined them during railway strikes and other delays

Andrew was not aware of this but I am sure that he would have forgiven me if I had told him

But the trains are more frequent and faster surely the noise causes problems for them

They have adapted to the noise just as fish trapped in caves gradually go blind

A train screamed over the viaduct

Its transit lasted twenty-eight seconds

There were no noticeable vibrations

In last carriage I saw Valerie’s sister Vera

She too was bisexual

And had slept with her sister and me

During our religious retreats

Andrew refused to believe that all women if they admitted it to themselves were bisexual

The last house on the western end of the viaduct presented the engineers with special problems as they had been constructed on higher ground

If you look at the arches they are slightly higher

The load is as equal as the rest of the arches

Both Valerie and my sister are shaven

Their cunts remind me of railway lines

I wonder if Andrew considers this when he sleeps with Valerie

He has never seen my sister naked as he has never met her

I have seen his sister naked

In her cell at the convent

The convent is next to the railway and is six miles from the viaduct

When erected the viaduct enjoyed the deepest foundations of any viaduct in the world

The engineers were acutely aware of the instability of the ground beneath the houses

This area suffers from high water levels

Flooding was once commonplace

If you really strain your eyes you can see the remains of a dry river next to the church

This river which was much larger then flowed between the eighth and ninth arches of the viaduct

Initially there was no house between these arches

The house you see there today was constructed after the river was drained

It is of a slightly different design

Valerie crossed the road

She was carrying a blue shopping bag

It was full of sunflowers

Blue and yellow make green how clever of you my dear

Valerie did not answer and sat crossed legged opposite me

She was not wearing underwear

I pretended not to notice

Are you boys discussing trains again?

We are examining the wonders of the viaduct which so enhances our town

Another express passed over the viaduct

My sister waved to me from the window

Our contact lasted six seconds

My sister is going to market

You say that in such a quaint way

It is the way I speak

I think you speak like Andrew

You are so careful in the choice of your words

Andrew kissed his wife lightly on the cheek

I looked away not wanting to share their intimacy

My sister’s sister was in the greengrocers shop

She smiled at me

Valerie spotted her and rose to her feet

A freight train was crossing the viaduct

I had once played chess with the driver and was sleeping with his wife

On alternate Tuesdays

This arrangement was flexible to shift changes but did not take into account any requests for overtime

Valerie crossed the road and joined my sisters sister in the greengrocers shop

Within hours they would share a bed

I was expected to take Andrew on a train journey

A short train journey

Just out of the county

We would examine the only semaphore signalling left on the line

It had been redundant for years

But was still in situ

Let us take a train journey my friend

I am a busy man

You are never too busy for trains

That is something of a cliché

Clichés are friendly creatures you know

We crossed the viaduct just over forty minutes later

I looked into the vicarage window as we passed

A golden crucifix late of the church was bright in the sunlight

There are angels everywhere

There are angels on this very train

They watch our every move

And offer protection

Andrew removed his clerical collar

It is so hot today

I think I will dispense of this

God will not mind

A short while later we passed the convent

I thought of my nun in her small cell masturbating vigorously in the afternoon sun

She was lonely for love

I resolved to speak to my sister about her situation

Andrew had closed his eyes but he was not asleep

Do you know my friend that these are my memorable years

I would like to think that they are yours also