waiting for the 2.41 pm bus
June 23, 2009
all the boy wanted at that moment was to go back home and sleep until the World ended. checking his watch, he hasn’t had a shut-eye moment for two months and forty-one days now.
it was 2.39 pm.
the Stranger walked to the bus stop and stood beside the boy. clad in black (not the smartest thing to do considering the sweltering heat, the boy thought), It took out a torn handkerchief and sneezed hardly into it. the boy felt the World shake for a second.
odd that It was, the boy sensed an acquaintance with the Stranger in black, though they smelled completely different from the other - the Stranger too had fifteen fingers and he only had ten.
still, the boy smiled at It, and It smiled back. the Stranger checked Its watch, then scanned the horizon for the impending bus.
the bus came at 2.41 pm sharp – the attendant pushed his way out of the vehicle, and announced to the World that there was only space for one.
the boy and the Stranger looked at each other – It stretched out Its right hand (of eight fingers) and gestured for him to board the bus.
the boy took the Stranger’s hand and gently shook it. it was cold, calm, and reverberated with the Heart.
a moment later, the boy was waving at the moving bus with the Stranger on Its way to wherever It was going.
the boy knew he had to wait for another day for the next bus to come, so he took out a torn piece of paper from his backpack and doodled on it so he wouldn’t pass out.
maybe the Stranger needed to sleep until the World ended more than the boy did.
maybe. but it didn’t matter.
the Heart reverberated once more, as the boy continued on doodling.
