August 15th, 2010
“Your music is kind of loud.”
“Yeah well good thing it’s MY music huh?”
“He is right young lady; blasting your music is very disrespectful and not everyone around you would like to hear it.”
“Ugh old people!” I hated this stupid bus ride. I was the only one under I was listening to good music, just not from their generation. The lady next to me gave me a sympathetic look and I turned away toward the window. She smelled like lavender and ocean breeze. It didn’t mesh well with my coconut hand lotion.
I pulled out my journal from my near empty backpack and started writing.
I shouldn’t even be on the bus. My dad is sending me to meet my mom again. I really don’t want to go to her though. The way I see it, if she wants to get to know me, she can drive her ass down here.
“You should give your mom more credit” a voice interrupted.
“Excuse me!” I said defensively while slamming my notebook. “Did I give you permission to read this? No, I didn’t, and I definitely didn’t ask your opinion.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just saying. You don’t know what she is going through right now and how she feels about you.”
‘You don’t know anything about me or my mom!”
“I know you are angry and you are hurt. You feel your mom betrayed you. I know your parents got divorced, probably after a legal problem like drugs or DUI. I also know people make mistakes and you are blocking your mom out, when she may be trying to apologize.”
I was shocked. ‘Who the HELL do you think you are? You have no right to judge me or my family, and no right to read over my shoulder. BUTT! OUT!” I stood up and pushed my way out of the seat, landing in another one a few rows back next to a hairy gentleman. I would have rather sat next to a woman but the nosy one was the only one on the bus.
I had only been on the bus for 45 minutes and had 6 and a half hours to go. I figured I could try to sleep and it would get me out of listening to these old people, slowly talk to each other about books, crafts, and the good old days.
Falling asleep was easy. I started dreaming as the noise of rattling dentures faded, laughter and music. I saw many lights swirling around and teddy bears galore! The smell was of cotton candy, kettle corn, and corn dogs. I had seen this carnival before. I was looking down on a little girl standing in the walkway, looking around as if she were lost.
She started running and was suddenly in a fun house. She was crying and confused. The lights in the fun house flickered as clowns popped out of the primary colored walls and laughed maniacally. She ran from them almost tripping on her untied shoelaces. Sooner then she thought she was looking in a mirror. Now he young girl was tall and lean. Though she was crying, she looked much more confident.
Walking slowly, she looked at herself in every mirror. When she came to the one where there were three of her, and she thought someone was behind her. The little girl ignored it and went to the next mirror. She was small in the mirror and could see the other women clearly. The other woman was my mother, but the girl wasn’t me. The girl picked up her pace and so did my mom. Every corner confused the young girl, as it was a maze. My mother knew he way out yet followed her. The girl screamed as my mom’s gentle hand grabbed her shoulder.
“SCREEECH!” I was awoken with a jolt and hit my head on the seat in front of me. Everyone was murmuring. I wondered why the bus had stopped so suddenly. I thought we may have arrived, yet the halt seemed too aggressive for that.
A short man walked onto the bus. He was wearing a bowler hat and a monkey mask. He also wore a nice suit with a red tie. He was a very odd man. He reached into the coat and pulled out his gun. “Everyone to the back of the bus! You too driver!!!!’ He yelled with an authoritarian voice.
Everyone seemed very scared and squealed while running back to where I and the weird man were sitting. I wanted to be scared, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t anything. Suddenly my emotions seemed numb.
“Get closer together!” he yelled.
Everyone scrunched together and the dumb lady from earlier was practically sitting on my lap.
“Now listen,” he started, “I don’t want to hurt any of you nice seniors, so don’t make me. All I want is a helicopter. The cops will come and after a while of begging, I will get my way and disappear. Don’t get in my way and everything will be fine. Got it?”
No one said anything. Only half could even hear him.
“I said got it?” he yelled while raising his gun.
“GOT IT!” I, and only I, yelled.
He laughed and stared talking while looking directly at me. “Mam you look so young! You couldn’t be a day over 16! Haha. You got a cell phone right?”
I nodded and couldn’t believe he was laughing. I was scared now.
“Call 911. Tell them I’m holding y’all hostage etc etc etc. Even cry if you want. Just don’t forget to tell them I want an unarmed, untracked helicopter or I’m gonna kill you all. Haha.”
I knew I couldn’t speak but I pulled out my cell phone and dialed. I could not risk angering him.
“911, what is your emergency?”
I remained silent, even though I opened my mouth.
“911, what is your emergency?” She repeated.
The lady next to me smiled at me reassuringly and took the phone. “Hi, this is Maria Goldstein. I am on a shuttle bus to Colorado from Maine and we are probably about halfway there. A man in his mid 30s has a gun and is holding us hostage. There are about 31 of us including a young lady who has her life ahead of her. He says he wants a helicopter that is not being tracked or he will kill us. Please hurry.”
“We are sending help right away Ms. Goldstein. Please stay calm and do what he says.”
“Yes. Goodbye.” Her voice was so smooth. She didn’t stutter. While everyone else was shaking she was calm. I was still slightly angry at her for butting into my life, but couldn’t’ help but to put my head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around me and it was very comforting.
The next hour was fairly boring. All the old men continued with their talks but quieter, Maria and I just sat there holding each other, and he man holding us hostage played with his gun. It wasn’t as bad as the movies, but there was this underlying fear. I was probably the most scared. They were all going o die soon anyway. I had a life and many many years ahead of me! I was very happy when I heard the sirens. Finally this was going to be over.
“Come out with your hands up Javier.” A police officer said over the intercom.
“Where’s my helicopter?” he yelled.
The cops said if he let us all go, they would work out he details. Javier didn’t like that. He grabbed an old man and put the gun to his head. Within 5 seconds he set the man back down and grabbed my shoulder. I started screaming as the cold metal pushed against the side of my head.
“Get me my fucking helicopter or the girl dies!”
“Ok ok sir. Please be patient and put the gun down. We are trying to arrange something.”
I ran back to the women, crying. She was my rock. The only thing keeping me comfortable right now. She held me and cooed like I was a 2 year old with a boo-boo but I didn’t complain. As Javier sat down and it was quiet again, she tried to change the subject and get me talking again.
“I’m sorry for butting in earlier. What are really your problems with your mom? You can vent to me dearie.”
She did well at distracting me because I forgot about the criminal and wanted to hurt her. I calmed down and told her the truth.
“My mom was accused of the rape of a little girl three years ago. She got out on bail. I don’t know if she did or not but my dad insists on me staying in contact with her.”
“Oh honey I’m so sorry. But she is your mom. Maybe you should talk to her about it. I’m sure she’d like to tell you her side of he story. No mother wants her daughter to hate her. When my daughter was two, I left her with her dad. I was young and not ready to be a mom. I came back 5 years later and she despised me. She blamed me for everything because I had hurt her. It took 25 years to gain her trust and now we have an amazing relationship.”
“Wow really? That is so sweet!”
I got wrapped up in the conversation and quickly Javier was out of the bus and under arrest, and the bus was moving again. Talk about a rock!
“You know what, I think I will. Thank you so much Mrs. Goldstein.”
“Anytime dearie.” She said with that sweet old lady smile.