A Touch of Spring

Spring is definitely in the air!

A certain woman boards the bus from time to time.  She is probably in her 50's, of Greek or Chilean appearance with dark hair cut into a bob and framing even, chubby features.  Her figure is short, and dumpy and she always wears dark colours.
Her glasses are thickly rimmed in black and she peers accusingly at me with large dark eyes, if I happen to be sitting on the front seat.

This morning, she beat me to it; bustling to board the bus before me and guarding the front seat with her handbag while she eagerly fed her ticket to the machine.

Her effusive greeting of the driver made it all only too clear as to why she was so determined in her haste to secure her position. 
The driver was her personal destination!

I've seen him often on our route.
Possibly Indonesian, he always has a ready smile and is most gentlemanly in his treatment of everyone.  Almost bowing in his readiness to greet us as we board, inquiring as to our health and waving passionately as we leave; wishing us 'a good day'!

I returned the smile of welcome from the driver and sat a little behind the woman and to one side so that I could see her.  I was curious as to her motives on this particular ride and they soon became obvious!

She hitched herself up into the coveted front seat and sat down heavily, bustling to tuck her coat beneath her and propping her handbag on her lap.
She then hitched her skirt up a little, displaying chubby knees and gazed rapturously at the driver in his mirror.
He smiled back at her, noting only, I think, that it was safe to move off and that she wouldn't topple into the aisle.

There then followed a sort of 'one sided courtship', whereby she continued to gaze in adoration and he politely acknowledged her attentions as people shuffled sleepily, on and off the bus.

She fidgeted in her seat a little and fluttered her magnified lashes at him behind her heavy rimmed glasses and he instantly took an increased interest in the busy road ahead.

This display continued for the length of her journey into the city. She occasionally stretched out a leg and uttered a little cough, then fluttered the lashes again and drew the leg back to join its mirror image and all the time ensuring there was a little extra flesh on show than was absolutely necessary.
By now, our driver had ceased to smile and was studiously staring at the traffic ahead and trying hard not to catch her eye in the mirror!
By the time we reached Elizabeth street and her destination, he was positively shrinking in his seat!

She slid as gracefully as possible from the raised seat, paused beside him as she made to get off and pressed something into his hand.  He bobbed his head and uttered his usual 'have a nice day' with a smile fixed to his round face.
I'm certain the doors closed behind her a little too smartly!

As we pulled away, I saw him glance at the small piece of paper in his hand. A single line that looked like a telephone number stared hopefully back at him.  A look of horror flitted, unchecked, across his face!
He sighed heavily and shook his head slowly as the bus staggered back into the chaos of city traffic and once more became part of the constant ebb and flow of commuters.

Somewhere in the city, there is a small, dark haired woman whose step is lighter and more hopeful!
Somewhere in the city is a certain bus driver who had a narrow escape!!

Bruce's Close Encounter

Two hours after to getting to work and I'm still smiling to myself.

It all started around 7am when I was walking from the car park to the bus stop on my way to work this morning. 
Who should be walking in front of me, back to his bus, but "Bruce Willis'!
He really is a huge guy; well over six feet tall, big boned and well muscled, he walks with the swagger of a tough man and is very 'Australian' in his shorts and ever present Akubra hat!

He folded himself into the cabin of the bus and almost immediately started the motor and pulled forward to the stop to allow the passengers on.

I was afforded a curt, 'Good Morning' in recognition of being a regular commuter, as I swiped my ticket and I took my usual place on the single front seat.
The journey into the city was pretty uneventful.  People got off.  People got on.  We stopped at lights and no cyclists held us up and risked their possible annihalation.
Nothing happened to provoke him!
So far.

As the bus entered the outskirts of the city, a middle aged man, thin of build with white hair in a short, quirky style, dressed in tight fitting, black skinny jeans and a short black jacket over a black polo neck, eased forward to the front of the bus until he was positioned in the 'no standing area' and, leaning into the cabin, he started talking to Bruce in a low voice.

Bruce was answering him quietly and being surprisingly polite and I could see Bruce glancing briefly in my direction a time or two and I wondered why.  I couldn't hear what was being said but I simply imagined the passenger was asking directions or bus times.

As we entered the city, the bus pulled in to a stop and the man got off with a polite 'goodbye', and waved back at Bruce as we pulled away.
He kept looking back at Bruce as we waited at traffic lights and eventually we drove away from the area.
I then presumed they knew each other.

Not so....

At the next set of lights, Bruce turned fully in his seat to look at me and to my surprise began to speak to me.  'I'm glad you sat there' he said with the hint of a smile. I was stunned!
He went on to explain: "That man who got off,  he's very nice and all that but he always tries to chat me up!" he rolled his eyes and I realised I had stopped breathing!
"I'm glad you didn't get off before, or he would have sat there and kept trying!"

Well, can you imagine?  I remembered to breathe and a grin split my face from ear to ear and I burst out laughing ! 
This huge bus driver with the temperment of a bull, had been propositioned by a gay man!   I was so surprised that anyone would be that brave or crazy as to even think of propositioning him and still get away in one piece, and so amused.  I couldn't keep the smile off my face and at the next lights, he turned to me again and said,
"I work out - ( I'd noticed that) ' -And I look after myself and I'm only 40 and the only ones who take interest are men!"
He grinned then and drove on.  I felt like saying ' Well, if i were 20 years younger' ... just to cheer him up!
But he went on to tell me that his wife would get a laugh from it, so I felt better for him.

I was all the time actually quite taken aback that he was talking to me! 

When it came to my stop I paused before getting off and asked with a smile: "Is it safe to leave you alone now?" 
He grinned and leaned forward and replied " Yes, I hope so. Thanks for saving me!"  And he actually laughed!!

As he pulled away, I saw someone inside the bus waving; not at me but at him and obviously calling out something.....
When he'd stopped to let me off, Bruce hadn't opened the back doors - and he had driven off without letting another passenger off!

He still kept going to the next stop with his 'prisoner'...............!