Human bitterness
At the bus station, I am waiting for my bus to arrive, a 30 year old women with a blue turquoise pink sweat suit is waiting too. She seems a bit nervous, playing with the laces from her hood. The bus arrives. I get in, show my student ticket. The bus driver grabs it out of my hand, examines it carefully. “Passport”. I give him my passport so that he can check it. “Mph.” He is waving me through.
Then I hear the women with a nervous voice and and a strong Berlin accent : “You know when the next bus is coming to the north station?” The bus driver, around 50, potbelly, mumbling: “Mph.” Moving very slowly, he grabs a file out of the side control and studies the departure times. Again: “Mph.” The women, very nervous: “I really need to go there.” The bus driver quite nerved “Don’t you see I am trying to find out!!!”
The women quietly: “Last week a bus came at this time, too.” The bus driver arrogantly “Sure, there are all the time busses starting from here.” Then getting a little louder “Couldn’t you have looked by yourself!? There are timetables ev-ry-wheeeere.” The women “But I need to go to the hospital”. The bus driver turns over a page. “You know…” the bus driver interrupting the women: “Mph. Just open your eyes, can’t you see? You just have to look at a timetable! Didn’t your parents teach you anything?” The women “My mother” “mph”, “My mother, she’s in the hospital. She died yesterday.”
The bus driver quietly: “Next bus 234, 12:13 from here.”
Your experience is just so shocking for me. This unfriendly, harsh bus driver didn’t seemed to think at all. He is not the only person having issues and problems, or whatever made him that bitter at this day.
It reminds again, that you should never let other people suffer or from your moods, because you never know, in what stage they are in.
It also reminds me of saying something nice to somebody when leaving, ’cause you may not see him again. And may you will regret your last words your whole life long.
oh my good… that is so sad! and i already hated this busdriver when i started reading! such people just drive me nuts!! what is so hard to be a little bit friendlier?! hope he feels at least somewhat guilty now!
and btw- great post, loved how you wrote it, couldn’t stop reading! looking forward to reading the next on!!
Very good story. I just under effect of it and cannot say more.
you’re a good writer. keep it up, girl. you could even think about gathering some of your stories for a book.