I was three quarters short, and everyone averted his eyes. I stood at the head of the bus, prodding, shaking my coin purse as if I’d missed something, fully aware I hadn’t, fully aware I was holding everyone up just by standing there, prodding, shaking my coin purse. People have meetings to get to, I told myself. I flipped over a nickel. Work, jobs, obligations. I turned a dime and shook my head. We are on a schedule here.
One quarter would be different. One quarter and someone would get up, say “Here, miss,” sit down. I snapped the clasp of my coin purse shut – smiled politely. “I think I need to make a trip to the bank”– looked around at the people looking out of windows, checking watches, feigning sleep. I smiled at them, politely, and stepped off the bus.
1 response so far ↓
bill rosler // May 14, 2008 at 12:37 am
went to the mall shopped,came back on time waiting for bus next bus back said i missed my bus,which i didn’t bus broke down had to go back other direction waited hrs for another bus came waited for people to get on so i could board bus driver said bus was full so i could’t board waited for hrs again people i knew on the bus told me the next day they were yelling to bus driver that there was room , she just repled to late now ? do i have to wait for all to board bus before i get on i do so just to be polite i was 6hrs to go to next town