The Bus Ride

Author: Katie Flanegan

Every morning at 6:20, Mrs. Greer boarded the 49 bus, her red scarf trailing behind her like a flag. She sat in the same seat, beside the window, and nodded at the driver, who never said much.

One morning, he wasn’t there. A young woman filled in. She was smiling, humming, asking how everyone was. The ride felt different, like the world had been tilted slightly toward light.

When Mrs. Greer reached her stop, she turned to the new driver and said, “You make this old bus feel like spring.”
The driver laughed. “Maybe it’s just time it did.”