As the bus pulled out onto the highway they relaxed back in their seats and looked forward. This time the bus was nearly empty and Anna only spotted two other people to keep them company. There was a young, skater kid about fourteen years old and a scruffy older man who looked as though he’d just been released from prison. It was amazing what characters you saw on public transport and Anna wondered whether it was a good thing she grew up so sheltered. At least a lot of the world had been hidden from her. But at what cost?
The desert passed by the window in a haze of brown. And after a while Anna stopped noticing the landscape. Instead of looking out she began to turn her thoughts inward. A week ago she couldn’t imagine the journey she had been on. And the journey of both mind and body had taken her to a place she didn’t know existed, a place of strength.
She looked to Carl and thought anybody could do anything if they had the right person by their side. Of course there would be problems and every person came with baggage but wasn’t that what made us all human? So engrossed was Anna in her thoughts that she barely noticed the sound of the engine stutter.
Carl however was instantly panicked and he looked out the window to see where they were. They appeared to be in the suburbs of a town he didn’t know and he prayed the bus would make it to the station. But of course his prayers weren’t answered and instead the bus eventually staggered as it died a slow death. It broke down just off the highway on the edge of a rundown neighborhood.
“Shit!” the bus driver could be heard shouting from his seat.
The four passengers watched as he jumped down onto the road and inspected the smoke rising from under the hood. He looked outraged at the incident and they could hear him complaining as he looked into the engine.
After a while he pulled out his cell phone and the passengers watched as he paced anxiously up and down the side of the bus while shouting at whoever was on the other end. After a few excruciating and confusing minutes he eventually came back on the bus and addressed the passengers.
“Sorry guys. Looks like this ole mule ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon,” and he huffed and crossed his arms angrily.
“But where are we?” Carl leaned forward and looked out the window again.
“On the edge of Corpus Christi,” sighed the driver as he took his hat off and wiped his bald head.
“But now what?” the skater kid at the front of the bus was angry.
“Yeah they gonna send another bus or what?” the older guy was incensed.
“Calm down guys,” the driver raised his hands as if he was surrendering. “Another bus is on the way as soon as they find someone to drive it. Then they’ll be taking you guys back to San Antonio where they’ll compensate you,”
“But we don’t wanna go back to San Antonio! That’s stupid!” Anna stood up enraged.
“Yeah we’re not going back! Can’t the new bus just take us where we’re going?” the skater kid stood up next.
“Look all I know is what the guy said on the phone and he said you’re all being picked up and taken back home,”
“This is fuckin’ stupid,” the skater kid lost his temper and stormed off the bus.
Then the older guy took his turn. “Fuck this. I’ll just hitch the rest of the way,”
Carl looked over to Anna who was bright red with anger. “And what do you wanna do?” he asked.
“I’m sure as hell not going back. Anyway can we just keep moving somehow?” she suggested.
But the driver interjected. “There’s a hotel not too far from here. You could always head there and make a trip of it,” he put the idea out there to placate the situation.
“Aaw fuck. We’ve really gotta be over the border like today,” Carl cupped his face in his hands and leaned forward onto his lap.
“That bad eh?” the driver approached the couple cautiously and sat a couple seats in front of them.
Anna nodded to show the severity of the situation.
“Family emergency?” he asked.
“Yeah…..” Carl fumed. “It’s a family emergency,”
“Damn, I’m so sorry,” the driver sighed. “If there was a way I could pay for you to travel I would happily oblige. Just hate seeing people in trouble,” he looked to the floor genuinely upset.
“I guess we could jump out now and start walking. Just hail a cab to the next station?”
“Seems like a plan to me,” Carl looked up to her and nodded.
“Well I guess it’s a goodbye from me then,” and the driver waved farewell as they jumped down onto the street.
Yet again the couple found themselves walking aimlessly in the middle of nowhere.
“This is just….. Shit. I have no other words I really don’t,” Carl fumed. “I’m just tired of all this,”
“You think God’s testing us?” Anna asked him as she jogged to catch up with his long, angry strides.
“You think there’s a God?” he replied dryly.
“I’m not even sure anymore,” Anna looked to her sneakers as she pounded her blistered feet on the sidewalk.