AustLit

'I met Jeanette when she fell from a tram. Well, it was more of a stumble, really. A desperate attempt to stabilise her delicate body as her legs failed to hold her steady, urgently leading her to the curb. I had been watching her for some time now, and by some time,
I mean the nine minutes it took to get from stop 41 to stop 48 at four o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. Jeanette’s grocery bags sat beside her on the fluorescent green seat of the vehicle, their contents threatening to spill at each screeching halt as we came to the next stop. A soft breeze swept through the window as I, in my own tired daze, unconsciously watched her body sway back and forth to the motion of our ride. It was interesting how, just like the ocean, people let the tram take control of them. As a frequent commuter, I had now almost mastered the way of the tram. It required
a certain positioning and stability of the legs. If they were
not firmly planted, you were sure to be swept away.' (Introduction)