FotD (Laconic), Coffee #1 (Coffee), Bunny Tracks #1 (Bus Stop)
Title: Public Transportation
Story: Life as we know it
Author: sonechko_td
Rating: G
Challenge: FotD (Laconic), Coffee #1 (Coffee), Bunny Tracks #1 (Bus Stop)
Word Count: 762
Author’s Note: This has absolutely nothing to do with my storyline. It’s just one of those ‘moments’ that I’m sure most of us experience. So I decided that one of my characters must experience it as well. Misery loves company, right?
The frigid temperatures had me stomping my feet and dancing on the spot to stay warm. Why, of all days, did the car need to break down THIS morning?
The lineup of people waiting for the bus extended well into the next block- when the bus finally did come, it was quite obvious that not everyone would fit. Luckily, I was towards the front of the line. I sighed, annoyed, at the inconvenience of it all, and turned on my Ipod. At least I had my music to escape into.
A particularly icy gust of wind blew past, and I turned my back to it, to avoid having it hit me full on in the face.
“Oof! Excuse me!” In trying to avoid the wind, I accidentally knocked into someone.
“Quite alright, dear” A cheery voice replied. I turned to see who had spoken. There was no better way of describing the woman, except by saying she was your typical old lady. She was short and hunched over, with wiry grey hair that poked out from underneath a blue woolen tuque. A long knitted scarf was wrapped around every inch of her face, leaving only small holes for her eyes and mouth.
I acknowledged her response with a smile and nod, then turned back towards the front, impatient for the bus to arrive.
“What a way to start a Monday, eh?” she began.
“Uh huh.” I responded in mono-syllables, not willing to engage her in conversation.
“On days like today, you just want to curl up under the blankets and go back to sleep, am I right?” she continued, probably not having noticed the earplugs.
“Yeah.” Ok. It was wayyyyyy to early in the morning for small talk with a stranger. I tapped my feet in time to Fat Bottomed Girls, the song currently playing on my Ipod.
“So what brings you to the bus stop, my dear? You aren’t one of the regulars, otherwise I’d recognize you.” The woman obviously wasn’t getting the hint.
“Car broke down” The woman was seriously getting on my last nerve. People who know me KNOW that talking to me before my morning coffee can prove to be fatal. This woman just wasn’t giving up. I pulled out my Ipod and pretended to fiddle with it for a few moments, hoping she’d take the hint and leave me alone. All this accomplished was that my hands, once out of their warm mittens, froze in a matter of seconds.
“Oh what a bugger.” She continued, oblivious. “You know, my dear Harold, he fixes cars. Everyone tells him he’s too old and he should retire, but no siree- he loves his job too much. I can phone him right now and he’ll be over in a jiffy to help. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” I watched in amazement as the little old lady pulled out a cell phone from her blue winter jacket and began dialing.
“Thank you, ma’am, but that won’t be necessary, it’s at the shop”. I tried the politeness track. Maybe that would get rid of the old bat.
“Really, are you sure? Because I tell, you, my Harold has a knack for these things-Oh look, there’s the bus!” She exclaimed.
I looked in the direction she pointed- and breathed a sigh of relief. The bus was finally rounding the corner a few blocks away.
“Oh thank God!” I muttered under my breath.
“I’m Gertrude by the way” she extended her gloved hand out to me.
Having no choice, I shook her hand. “Erin.” I turned away from her, pretending to have seen something fascinating in the garbage dump across the street.
No such luck. “So where are you headed Erin?”
“Work”. Before she had a chance to ask me anything further, the bus arrived at our stop and started letting on passengers.
The bus, naturally, was jam packed. Thankfully, I was FINALLY able to shake Gertrude, since someone was nice enough to give up their seat for her up front. I silently sent that gentleman a word of thanks, while continuing to the back of the bus. I’ll finally get to escape into my music for the next half hour.
I elbowed my way to the back, found something to hang on to as the bus rocked back and forth violently, and breathed a sigh of relief. That’s when the battery on my Ipod decided to die.
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I got into work and, without even taking my coat off, made a beeline for the coffee machine. It had been one hell of a morning.