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| Take the Bus |
Ten
more days…only ten more days…Rosalie heard this
phrase in her mind with each bus stop, with each passenger trundling off the
bus and new passengers pulling themselves aboard. Her smile greeted them with
each closing of the door. Ten more days.
After all these years, Rosalie had come to know
their names, their lives with all the good and bad, and how they aged as she followed them
wrinkle for wrinkle. Now, retirement
marched closely: Ten more days.
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| Source |
Then a new passenger, pretty young woman clutching
her bag and books to her chest, leaped upon the steps. Looking over her shoulder, pretty woman
caught the glare of an angry man racing after the bus. “You bitch!
Get yourself out here!” He
screamed her name, “Cassie!”
“You okay, baby?” Rosalie closed the door and
pulled away from the bus stop, brakes and hydraulics singing. She saw in the
mirror other passengers, faces creased and worried. Young Woman looked up, face bruised and tears
creasing. “Cassie?”
No story needed.
“We all been there, Sweet Child…Bastard needs a
good whuppin’…We keep you safe here, Baby…” Slowly a smile crept across
Cassie’s face.
Day after day, Cassie raced faster and faster, the
Bastard drawing closer and closer. Day
after day, the Bus Family held her, carried her to safety.
Then one day, on Day Ten, Bastard gripped Cassie’s
arm, backhanding her soft face.
The bus door opened, with Rosalie flying out,
facing the Bastard nose to nose.
Following close behind, the Bus Family surrounded, encircling him
tightly. Rosalie lightly rested her
hands on Cassie’s shoulders, whispering, “You
tell him, girl. You don’t need him
anymore. We’ll take you in.”
Words bottled up burst out and nailed the Bastard
for every sin that was his. The circle
tightened when Cassie gave him a right cross.
“You get your crap outta my apartment before I get back…”
The Bus Family climbed back on, each one shoving
or kicking him. We take care of our own…
Rosalie smiled inwardly. I’ll tell the company I’ll stay for a few more months….
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| supporting heroes |
