Reading
Sitting in comfortable chairs, reading. A pleasant, relaxing break at the end of a busy day. That was the case for Carla and Roy, and me, on Tuesday. Busy day? More like busy week on the Street. So how nice to just chill for a bit.
Such moments of downtime, of pure nothingness, have become rare enough on Coronation Street to be noteworthy. Maybe Carla and Roy are now among the very few people we see doing essentially nothing.
Well, not nothing. Carla was reading her trashy romance novel. Roy was learning about the process of turning pig iron into wrought iron and the effect of that development in the Industrial Revolution.
And thinking
Carla was also thinking about the mess she’s getting herself into. Wanting to talk to Roy about it, but not wanting to tell him any details. She wanted him to reassure her. Just tell her she’s “doing the right thing.” So he did. He realized she did not want to discuss what it is she’s doing. She didn’t want to analyze it with him. She just wanted his support. He’s learned a lot from Carla, and from Hayley. He did as she asked, then went back to his book. Both were content.
The elements on Carla’s ongoing story with Ali were in that little scene. That is the situation she wanted reassurance on. What to do about her sleeping with her best friend’s son. She knows it’s best to end it. It’s not a situation that is going to end well. She knows that is what Roy would tell her, so she doesn’t tell him. She doesn’t need to. But she needs to feel his friendship and strength behind her.
So it wasn’t simply a scene – or a conversation – about nothing. It wasn’t played for laughs. It was just a nice breather, with things thought about, even discussed without words. But done in a quiet way in a quiet space. A small moment of peace before climbing back on the roller-coaster. For Carla and Roy, yes, but also for all of us getting tired on the ride along.
Tap the title to see the book that Roy was reading, The Great Railroad Revolution: The history of trains in America by Christian Wolmar (2012). Unfortunately, Carla’s book – The Tempted House by Edwina Haverson – seems to not exist.
