The School Bus

School Bus (continued)

I climb out of the bus, completely oblivious to the idea that my parents are still in there, and Tammy too. I walk around the bus, looking and thinking, how did this happen? Was the black shadow a car? But I don't see any cars around. Other people (workers or something) are coming to my rescue. Thank God because my head is in a haze. Somehow, they flip the bus over (easily by hand) and it now sits upright. I don't even know who these people are as I thank them for their help. They seem to be looking at the wheels of the bus as if there's something wrong.

I can't figure out what happened. I didn't hit anything.

I go over to the bus to see if my parents and friend are okay and to let them off the bus. I don't know why they didn't get off earlier when I did. Mom's arm hurts and her finger is bleeding but, otherwise, she appears to be fine. My Dad isn't hurt at all and Tammy is also fine.

After they get off the bus, we all look around and they go and sit at a table with a red and white umbrella on top. It must be some kind of restaurant or something. I don't know. I'm more concerned about the bus accident and what I'm going to do. I can't figure out what happened. I don't understand. How on earth did I get into this mess?

I come back to the bus and there is this little Chinese lady (she looks to be in her 50's) sitting in the driver's seat. Her husband is sitting in the seat behind her holding an infant, and a young boy (about three or four) is sitting in the seat next to him. "Why are you people in here?" I ask the lady as I help them down the stairs.

The lady puts her hand to her neck and winces as she cries, "My neck hurts bad!" I walk them over to a small hill on the side of the road and they sit down.

"Why were you on my bus?"

"My neck hurts," the lady replies, "I need this!"

"Need what?" I ask her. "You were not on this bus when it crashed!" I was getting frustrated. "I can't do anything about your neck!" She just sat there on the hill and didn't say anything else. By this time, the police and fire department have arrived but I can't say when. It all still seems like a dream to me.

A big fat black female cop comes up to me and asks me what happened. But I can't seem to find the words to explain. "It didn't make sense," I told her, "I was changing lanes and the bus suddenly started flipping over." I don't tell her about the black shadow because I'm unsure about it myself. She leaves me for some time and comes back handing me a ticket. "A ticket? What am I getting a ticket for?"

"You hit a car," she says.

"But there wasn't a car anywhere around!"   

The officer looks at me like I'm an idiot. "Both your parents and your friend say you hit a car." Then she walks away as my mouth is agape without words to say. I'm very confused. I don't know what to do and so I just wander away. Maybe I can catch a bus home.

While I'm walking down the street trying to find a bus stop to go home, I realize that I don't have my phone and my money is in my phone wallet.  I feel like I've been walking forever and now I can't even take a bus because I don't have any money.  I can't call anybody because I don't have my phone.  Where is my phone?  I always have my phone on me, so why don't I have it now?  I sit down on a bench in front of a store and look down.  Wow!  Three quarters, a dime, and two nickels are on the ground.  I love finding change and pick it up with glee!  I wonder how much it costs to ride the bus?