The Yellow Bus

by Gill James

chocolate milk shake 

The wind blew and made Callum's ears tingle.

"Don't you worry, my sweetheart,the bus will soon be here." Nana pulled at his hat, almost covering his eyes. "Now that will keep your ears warm." Yes that was fine but it would be better if he could see as well. When he thought she wasn't looking he pushed his hat up again.

Then his heart skipped a little beat. Here it came. It was a yellow one. He liked the yellow ones. They were a bit friendlier. They were smaller inside and it felt so nice; everybody looked at the yellow bus when it made its way through town and some people waved. 

"Now you hold tight until we've sat down." Nan grabbed his hand. She actually held it a bit too tight. Perhaps she was frightened of falling down. Well that was all right. He was a big boy now. He would take care of his Nana.

They found a seat right next to the window.

"Now don't you go to sleep," said Nana. "Your mum will be so cross with me if you do because you won't sleep tonight then."                   

The bus set off. "Here we go," said Nana.

Callum looked out of the window. He didn't know what to say to Nana and she didn't seem to know what to say to him.

She took her phone out of her bag. "I'm just going to call your Uncle Tom. You just nudge me if you want anything. And you carry on looking out of the window so that you don't feel sick."

He didn't feel sick did he? He'd grown out of that hadn't he? He wished she hadn't mentioned it, though. Did he feel sick? It would be horrible if he was sick on the bus. He looked out of the window. A lady with a baby in a pushchair waved at him. He waved back.

He heard a click from Nana's phone as Uncle Tom answered it.

"Hiya," he heard Nana say. "Have you heard anything?"

Uncle Tom mumbled something.

"Well what did the solicitor say?"

His uncle growled something. Callum wondered what a solicitor was.

"Will she? That's not fair, is it?"

There was more growling.

"Well, you'll just have to tell her. You show her who's boss."

Nana pressed the button on her phone and it went beep. She shook her head. "Your Auntie Sally is a silly cow."

Callum frowned. What did Nana mean? Auntie Sally didn't look like a cow at all. She was really pretty. Mind you, he liked cows as well. They had nice eyes.

Nana turned round and started talking to another lady on the bus.

It was warm on the bus and Callum's eyelids began to droop. He dreamt a little bit about Auntie Sally riding a cow that that jumped over the moon.

Callum woke up 

              

"You'll have to pay mate." Those were the first words that Callum heard. He stood up so that he could see what was going on at the front of the bus. A man had got on with a little brown and black dog.

"But I didn't have to last week. I ain't got no money."

"Well you can travel on your pass but that animal can't. Driver's discretion, innit?"

Callum wondered what "discretion" meant and turned to Nana to ask her. But she was frowning and concentrating. Better not disturb her.   

"It's all right, I'll pay for him," said a lady with a black face. She was getting on the bus behind the man and the dog.

The bus driver didn't say anything but just took the money and handed a ticket to the man. 

The man turned round and smiled at the lady. "Thank you."

As they walked up the bus to find a seat the dog stopped and sniffed at Callum.  He was all wriggly and waggly.

Callum giggled.  "What's his name, Mister?"

"Carter."

Callum tickled Carter's ears. The little dog went even more wriggly.

Nana shook her head. "They don't like animals like we do."

"Who don't?"

"Them darkies."

"Darkies?"

"Black people."

That didn't make sense. The black lady had paid for the dog so she must like animals. Anyway, the bus driver wasn't black. He was sort of pale brown.

Nana sighed.  "And he'll have to pay again on the way home. I bet he hasn't thought of that. Let's hope he gets a white bus driver who likes dogs."

Callum had an idea. He wobbled Nana's arm. She turned to look at him "Can I give the man my pocket money for the dog's bus fare?"

"Oh sweetheart." She slapped a big sloppy kiss on his forehead. "I don't think you've got enough." She fumbled in her purse and took out a few coins. She walked down the bus and gave it to the man. "Here. Just to make sure you can get him home again."

The man went bright red and he pulled  at his fringe. "Thank you ma'am. That's very kind."

As she came back to her seat, her phone went off. "It's your mum.  I wonder what she wants."                

              

Callum could hear his mum's voice growling in the background. She sounded a bit angry. She wasn't letting Nana speak.

He kept turning round to look at the dog, but the little animal was fast asleep now. All he could do was look  out of the window. That was one nice thing about the yellow bus, though. The windows were deeper and you could see more.

Starkies' wood looked interesting. Perhaps the little dog would like to run around in there. Then the bus pulled over to the side to let a big red fire engine go past. Its lights were flashing and its sirens were screaming. How exciting. He thought perhaps he'd like to be a fireman when he grew up. Fancy driving through the traffic like that and then being brave and rescuing people from a fire. When the bus stopped at Holy Cross a lot of big boys and girls got off. That would be him one day. Going to school in a smart uniform.

Still Nana was listening to his mum. She was going on and on today.

"Now just a minute, our Ellen," said Nan suddenly. "You can give up that idea right away, me lass. Of course I'll have Callum. You don't want him to go to strangers. " She put her arm round Callum. "Him and me get on just fine. You won't need to pay  me. Well perhaps just a few expenses, now and then, like when I have to pay dogs' bus fares."

Mum growled again.

"Long story. I'll tell you this afternoon. See ya later."

She pressed the button on her phone that made it beep. "You mum's a silly cow as well. I don't know, I could bang their heads together. Her and your Auntie Sally. A right pair of silly moos."

"Why was she going on? Have I been naughty?"

Nana gave him another sloppy kiss. "No my lover. She was excited. She's only gone and got herself a right snazzy job. And Ive said I'll look after you while she's at work. Eh, we'll have some fun won't we?"

Callum wasn't sure. He liked Nana but she was a bit too fussy sometimes. And there were too many of them sloppy kisses. 

She poked him in the ribs. "And you know what? She'll now be able to take you on a nice seaside holiday. She's invited me as well."

That would be all right, he supposed. "Where will we go?"

"Oh I dunno.  Scarborough. Blackpool. May even abroad. Benidorm or Ibiza. At least we'd get good weather there."  

                 

The bus turned into the bus station. People started standing up and gathering their things together.

Nana shook her head. "I don't know why they don't wait unit it stops. One day one of them will have a nasty fall."

When the bus stopped she grabbed Callum's hand. He wriggled. She was squeezing it a bit too hard.

The man with the dog was talking to the black lady.

"I'm taking him for his jabs and to get him the once over. Make sure he's all right, like."

The lady bent down and patted Carter. "He looks fit enough to me. You're a lovely little thing, aren't you?"

"Thank you so much. You've been so kind." The man then turned to Nana and Callum. "And you ma'am."

Carter jumped up at Callum. Callum wriggled his hand out of Nana's and patted the little dog.

"Come on, then you," said the man. "We'd best get going or we'll miss our appointment."

"Right then," said Nana.  "How about we go and get a nice ice cream?  Celebrate your mum's good news." She frowned. "Only you'd best wash your hands first after playing with that dog. You don't know where he's been."

Callum nodded. That would be all right. Well, after they'd got the hand-washing out of the way.      

      

The hand-washing turned out to be not too bad in the end.  There were some new taps that made the water tickle. And there was a super new machine  that dried your hands in seconds. Callum pretended he was from another planet where you didn't have to use soap and water but everything was done by a laser-beam.

"Let's go and get that ice-cream, shall we?" said Nana.

Already he was trying to decide whether he'd have chocolaty one or a creamy yellow and pink one. Perhaps he's be allowed a chocolate milk shake as well.  

Oh yes, the yellow bus had been magic again. The fire engine. Being able to see right into Starkies' wood. And that little dog. Never mind mum's news. The thought of Mum and Auntie Sally turning into cows, silly ones at that, made him want to giggle. These exciting things always seemed to happen on the yellow bus.

"Nana, do you think we'll go back as well on the yellow bus?"

"I've no idea, my lover. Perhaps we will. Perhaps we won't."

"And do you think Carter will be on it?"

Nan shrugged.  "Perhaps if he is and the driver don't charge, I might get my money back."

"Hmm."

"Anyhow, it's good about your mum, in't it? Perhaps we'll go to the travel shop and get some brochures."

Yeah, it was all good. And it would be fantastic if they got the yellow bus home.   

About the author

Gill is the main editor of CafeLit. She has several stories on site and in The Best of CafeLit collections. Her second single auhtor collection is coming ut soon. She has recently taken to traveling on the local bus and find this a great inspiration for short stories. 

http://www.gilljameswriter.eu/             

Alexander Road

Jeanne Davies

chocolate milk shake

The ocean changed its shape in a perpetual motion of dips and swells beneath a morning sky which boasted the clear blue everyone had longed for. The Southsea beach fronts were laden with families enjoying a typical British summer. Excited children grasped colourful buckets as they patiently watched their fathers hammering windbreaks into moist recently exposed sand. Clutching and snatching at shells, the tide had begun its retreat from the pebbles piled high against the promenade. All along this coastal stretch the new day was beginning, with a promise of ice creams, penny arcades and all the fun of the fair, amid the under scents of chips and greasy sun lotion.
     Gripping the lead securely, Elizabeth carefully navigated Bella to safely avoid streams of bicycles, joggers and the miniature blue train with enormous painted eyes. Bella was slow and sedate now and didn’t cope well with stress. For a moment, Elizabeth paused to gaze out across the vast sparkling sea, far out to the distant horizon. The sepia shadows of several ships hung in limbo on the faded boundary between sky and ocean, motionless except to those who turned away for a time. 
     They crossed the road and vanished down a narrow street, leaving the chaotic seafront noises behind them. The grand beach front houses and hotels gradually disappeared. A few respectable B&B’s sprung up between shabby rented accommodation and flats where foxes had raided black bin liners abandoned in dishevelled front yards. Dust and debris collected on empty spirit bottles and discarded beer cans, amidst scatterings of dried dog faeces.

     Along the cracked pavements, weeds grew high against crumbling brick walls covered in an eczema of lichen. Before she turned into Alexander Road, Elizabeth encountered an elderly drunk with several days of grey stubble on his sun scorched chin. He gave her a toothless smile before reaching down to touch Bella's curly ivory coat. The man hovered there for a second or two, balancing precariously as if on a tightrope which he grappled to remain on, but never managed to control. As usual the Retriever gazed up into his withered face, her kind brown eyes focusing on him whilst her whiskered jaw dropped open into a panting smile.
     As they approached the black pointed railings of Alexander Park, Elizabeth could feel Bella’s enthusiasm mount. They quickened their pace until they were engulfed in a peaceful green canopy of beach and oak. Taking their usual route from left to right of the big grass square, Bella was grateful to receive the freedom to roam off lead as she wished. Having completed the square three times, Elizabeth sat on a bench, allowing her arms to stretch across its width. She resisted frenzied tears hiding behind her dark green eyes, convincing herself that she was doing the right thing.

     Bella returned to her owner’s side and carefully settled herself down beside her feet. The gentle breeze ruffled the graceful fully-clad branches above them in a dance of their own; Debussy’s Claire de Lune echoed in Elizabeth’s mind, in tune with their motion. She allowed it to flow over her like the sound of the waves on the beach. They often sat there watching the world go by; Bella would twitch her nostrils and sniff the air periodically harnessing different scents. Their usual friendly Jackdaw would often hop along the path, searching for crumbs and blinking curiously at them.

     A woman wearing impractical shoes walked her Westie quickly along towards them, gesticulating to her phone. The dog cautiously glanced over at Bella but was soon tugged along sharply like a little white puppet. As they left, it yapped briefly at the postman who’d propped his bike against the railings, juggling an armful of mail for residents in the square.

     Soon an elderly couple entered the park, casually wandering hand in hand behind their bouncy Jack Russell. They eventually sat opposite Elizabeth; the man placing his hand gently on top of the woman’s. They were too far away for her to hear their conversation or understand the topic of their smiles and laughter.
     When the couple left, they nodded happily over at Elizabeth. Sudden unwelcome tears rose to sting her eyes. She sighed heavily, permitting them to roll and make damp tracks down her cheeks. They used to hold hands and gaze out into the world together like that … she’d questioned repeatedly why he had been taken from her. Only Bella had kept her going through those sad times.

     A jogger appeared at the gate, her long lean legs pumping at the path. Elizabeth quickly swiped a tissue across her face and blew her nose, chastising herself for such stupidity. She said a prayer for him, as she always did, and inhaled a full lungful of air. Bella took this as a sign and rose slowly to her feet. She turned to focus those knowing brown eyes into Elizabeth’s … they both knew … it was time to go.

     The sun was beginning to weaken and fall as Elizabeth walked alone amid the cries and tantrums of exhausted children covered in salt, sand and remnants of ice cream, being coaxed and dragged back to cars by weary adults. She too must go back to the loneliness of her life, or at least find some way to carry on without the love of her life. So many long nights with pillows soaked by tears and a cold empty space beside her.

     Elizabeth felt the restless pull of the ocean beneath her bare toes and the huge tug in her heart to go back to the veterinary practice, to scream and shout, shake Bella awake … and to return to Alexander Road.