Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round

       Another time I was sitting on the Number 12 bus, and I noticed that three high school girls were staring at me from across the aisle. We were in the back of the bus at the portion where the seats face each other.

         High school kids on the bus made me nervous. Adults on the bus were going to work or coming home – they worried about time – getting to work on time, would the bus be on time, getting home at a decent time – they, like me, were just wanting to get to where they were going. Smaller kids on the bus were with their parents – so for the most part they behaved. But the high school kids? They had time. And when there is time, one sometimes looks for mischief.

         So the girls staring at me had me anxious. I did not want to engage them in conversation – who knows what they were up to? But after a while, one of them said, “Excuse me, there is a spider coming down the pole and about to land on your shoulder!”

         I looked at the girls, and their faces had genuine fear! Then I looked in the direction of the spider – and sure enough one was coming down the pole. It was not of some gigantic monstrous size but merely appeared to be a spider like you might find in your house – I smiled at the girls and told them it was okay – I was going to let the spider live. They were not too sure that was wise. I was just relieved that delivering the warning about the eight legged critter was all that they wanted of me,  my being more afraid of the high school girls than they were of the spider!

        Another time a girl who looked to be still in her teens got on the bus and was standing because all the seats were taken. She was about seven months pregnant and looked uncomfortable. Several people stood up to offer her a seat. But the girl gave a smile, shook her head no, and said that standing was more bearable than sitting at that particular moment!

         I can still remember her smile.

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