Grampa’s stories #17


When I left the office, I had plenty of time so I wasn’t really watching intently for the bus. As I walked towards the bus stop, I turned around once to make sure the bus wasn’t coming. Nope. Nowhere in sight. I was thinking how much I was going to enjoy sitting down on the train. It’s sort of like catching a plane—once you get to your seats and you have successfully passed through security and luggage and ticketing and parking, it feels really good. I’m not really sure what I was thinking about, but when I looked up, the bus went driving past me. I was momentarily shocked and secretly hoped he was going to slow down for me. He didn’t. The bus stop was still a ways off. Nobody was there, so he didn’t pull in there either. But up the road I saw some emergency lights flashing. Maybe they would slow him down, but the flashers didn’t appear to delay him much. By this time I was running, but that didn’t really help either. I probably looked like Santa wobbling down the sidewalk with his knapsack. Twice previously I was offered an unsolicited ride while I was waiting at the bus stop—“poor old guy” they thought, I guess. I hoped someone might see my desperation today and offer me a ride. No takers yet. Then a train passed over the road and stopped traffic for like 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately, the bus got through. I kept running and pretty much got to Wall Street. I could see the bridge in the distance, where the bus turns into the Frontrunner station. So I kept running in this stifling heat amazingly, but nobody stopped or offered me a ride today. I ran past Walmart and the Freeway entrance. It was way further than I anticipated. But it was a good thing that I was running, because when I got to the Frontrunner station, a train was already waiting there. I barely made it on board before it started down the track. And now, I am sitting on the train being drenched with air conditioning. It’s as good as it sounds. 

It really feels great!

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