The Bus

The Bus

“I know you did it.”

The voice came from behind Janet. She froze, a bit afraid to turn around. In that brief moment, she tried to identify the voice. Definitely male, but not recognizable as any of her friends.

The voice sounded sincere, and a bit stern, so it didn't seem to be a comment made in fun. But what was the it? She quickly thought back over her morning. She literally hadn’t seen anyone yet! Nobody she knew anyway. She’d gotten up late, had to rush to get ready to go, and practically ran to the bus so she wouldn’t have to wait another ten minutes. She hadn’t even stopped for coffee, not that she really knew anyone in the coffee shop, but familiar faces from having similar schedules, so showing up at the coffee shop about the same time daily. It could be someone from there… but what would it be that they knew she’d done?

Finally, having run out of possibilities she turned around. There was a guy, looking right at her, she didn’t know him at all. But just as she was gearing up to ask what he was talking about, he started talking.

“I’m sorry! Did it hit you?”

Completely confused now, she automatically said, “What?”

But before he could answer another head popped up, a boy about five maybe. “I didn’t do it on purpose!” he said, “it slipped out of my hand when I dropped my jacket!”

The guy looked confused, still a little angry and completely embarrassed all at the same time. “I’m sorry, I thought my nephew, Ronnie, hit you with his ball.”

Janet let out a snicker, “Oh, I thought you though I did something!” the guy laughed back.

Three years later, almost to the day, Janet became Ronnie’s aunt.