Family Short Story – Get off the bus!
Photo credit: Alvimann from morguefile.com
Seryal was up all night pinning away at the thought of her next emotional move. She was to decide between whether she should take the much needed promotion and stay in Seattle where the atmosphere was perfect for her health and social freedom or follow her heart to Atlanta and fall back into the swing of things.
She steps to the refrigerator for a Pepsi, pops the top then pulls out the black cushioned dining room chair. Next to her stack of take-home and DELL Laptop sits paper and pencil. She picks up the pencil and begins to spill her pro’s and con’s; all the reasons why staying put would be beneficial.
How she could help the parents she loves dearly in their aging years. How her four wonderful siblings would benefit from her continued guidance. How becoming Regional Director of Demand Force could catapult her into the limelight she’s been working so hard towards. Sara, her best friend, would surely emotionally die if she wasn’t around for her to lean on. Seryal wrote down more pros to stay than cons to relocate. Relocating to Georgia would definitely not be an improvement per her health. Dr. Bryn Richfield, a lung specialist, had warned her that Atlanta’s atmosphere was too heavy for her lungs to gather the strength they need to sustain her for years ahead, and her love life was/isn’t cemented in stone; her confessions after the facts.
Stanford had returned after the conference urging her to join him. He has no relationship baggage. The home he owns is beautiful and big. Besides being Demand Force’s National Director, him being a successful entrepreneur is a bonus. He’s a church-going, God-fearing man who is warm, compassionate, giving and exceptional in making my heart race. Should I stay or should I go.
I get dressed in House of Dereon, make-up my face with items from Imani’s Collection, stuff six folders into my Limited-Edition briefcase, grab my loaded house key ring and now warm black coffee and lock the glass double doors to my house’s entrance.
With my brain in a tizzy, I head to the recently renovated 76 bus stop and sit as those leaving for work arrive to silently keep me company. Several vehicles zoom by on their way to where ever they’re on their way to. I continue to contemplate the pros and cons of the urgent matter before me. The 76 slides up right on time, washed and waxed. The door opens and six riders exit. I enter, show my monthly bus pass and take a seat near the back door. Being a public transportation rider is new to me, sometimes a difficult task at hand yet convenient.
The driver pulls from the curb and we’re off. Four stops come and go; twelve more to go. I rub my forehead and sip my cold coffee. Four more stops, several more riders entering and exiting and it hits me; I’ve made my decision. I pull the bell midway to my destination, “Driver, please, I need to get off the bus” I frantically, yet confidently state.
__END__
Kim Wilson
