A day on the bus …

One day in 1975, my Mom was riding the NYMills bus home from downtown. She had a driver's license but never drove. She saw no need. Driving made her nervous, so she always rode the bus. She knew all the drivers and all the regulars.


So on this ordinary day, she rose to get off at her corner and found herself sitting in the center aisle. Now that was not ordinary. Gil stopped the bus at the corner and looked at her wondering what she was doing? “You okay, Bette?” he asked. She looked shaken and a bit confused, but she assured him that she was fine. Too much heat, sun, medication making her dizzy.


Gil wasn't convinced. He turned off the engine and helped Mom off the bus. He walked her slowly down the street [with her protesting all the way] and got her to the yellow house with the red flowers in front. In the kitchen, he made her a cup of tea and sat with her for a few more minutes, just to be sure. She seemed fine now. She said she was fine.


Gil returned to the bus still waiting at the corner. No one complained or grumbled about the delay. A couple of people had gotten off and walked, but most just waited patiently to find out if Bette was okay. Gil assured them that she seemed fine. She said she was fine. But she always insisted she was just fine. That was the way Bette was.


Turns out Mom was indeed fine. This was one of her many experiences with embarrassing episodes in public places [eepps!!]. Wait until I tell you about her fainting in the bank's revolving door!!


I'm telling you this story today because I've been thinking more about Mom lately, for some reason. But I also need reassurance that things like this still happen today. There are people like Gil out there. And people who wait like the people on the bus – because sometimes - something or somebody else is just more important at that point in time.

~T, 11-14-2012