The Devil's Carnival

The Ungrateful People

As quickly as his shaking hands allowed Bob opened the doors and his passengers, with a new love of life, rushed out like a heard of antelope running from a bush fire. Last one out was Bob who very nearly collapsed as he took a breath of fresh air. He may have been grateful everyone got off alive but some of them were not as grateful as others. “What the f**k?!” Tom shouted in between gasps as he and everyone else regained their composure and settled down just a little. “Everyone please be patient. I’m sure we will be back on the road before long.” Bob raised his hands in a show of surrender and adjusted his glasses which had nearly flown clean off his face without him even noticing. He slowly got to his feet although he nearly fell back down a few times. Given the brush with mortality some of his passengers were now so forgiving that they accepted the attempt at reassurance, so much so that Danielle even gave him a thumbs up. However not everyone was so eager to forgive and forget, especially given that Bob had said the same thing the last two times there had been a break down. “Wow, what a rush.” Danielle flopped down on the gravel and unscrewed her flask. “Prost!” She raised the flask into the air before she threw it back. Mina who stood next to her with her hands on her knees gasped for breath. If felt like a lifetime before the burning in her throat died down and she could breath easily again. When she straitened up Danielle extended her flask again. This time Mina eyed it almost affectionately although she wasn’t a drinker before finally accepting. She had no idea what she was getting into and the first sip she took ran down her throat like a mouth full of hot sauce. It took everything she had not to choke. Mina handed Danielle back her flask before she took another mouthful before stretching out her legs and leaning back. “Yep, that’s some good hooch.” Mina didn’t really agree but didn’t say a thing. She watched as Danielle pulled out a pack of cigarettes, stuck one in her mouth and offered the pack to her. She swiftly declined. “Suite yourself. “ She rolled over, shoved the pack into her pocket and pulled out a bright pink lighter, which was also shoved into her pocket after the cigarette was lit. “Well, this will be interesting.” Danielle and Mina watched as Bob wrestled with the hood of the bus, trying to get it open. As he struggled the three bodybuilders slurred insults at him although Bob seemed unaffected. The career he was in, he’s probably gotten use to it. “What kind of business is this? Are you trying to kill us?” Allen through his hands in the air to prove his point as he nagged, but Bob didn’t as much as look at him. Not getting the attention he felt he deserved made his blood boil. “I’m talking to you!” He yelled again as the three stormed in Bob’s direction just as the hood of the bus flew open and a new wave of smoke smacked him in the face and forced him back. “f**k!” Bob shouted before retreating and coughing wildly as his eyes started to water. This was very bad. No good piece of s**t. They told him they fixed the f*****g things engine, obviously not. They said everything worked fine, also clearly not. Mrs. Gimble, still shaking just a little covered the boys’ ears and looked at him with disgust. She was all out of patience and would not tolerate this kind of language, it was bad enough he nearly killed them all. “Do you think you could seas your profanity at least while there are children around?” It wasn’t a request and Bob knew it. He raised one hand in surrender while the other rested on his knee as he gasped for air. “My apologies.” He was being only a little sarcastic and her expression made it clear she noticed. Mrs. Gimble shoved her nose in the air as she glared at him for just a moment. Believing she had done her part she herded her brood off to one side as far from those sinful people as she could. “Excuse me sir, but what are our chances of getting back on the road?” Tessa Parker traced her fingers over the string of pearls around her neck. Harold knew it was something she did when she was annoyed out of her shoes but the force she used to tug at one of them told him she was fuming and very soon everyone would suffer. ”Ma’am, I don’t think there is any at all.” Bob tried staying calm as he spoke when what he really wanted to do was take a crowbar to the hunk on junk and give those ungrateful people a good piece of his mind. Furious, Tessa turned from the driver and directed her aggression towards her husband. “I blame you for this.” It always amazed, and frightened, Harold when she got this angry. It looked like she turned into one of those lizards who puffed up to frighten off predators and she was just as scary. Knowing he was in dangerous territory Harold Parker offered no argument, what good would it do? “Yes dear.” Realising he had better do something fast if he was to avoid losing his head Bob tried waving the smoke from the engine to see if he could do anything, even if he knew in all probability he wouldn’t be able to do a thing. For a moment it looked like the smoke was fading just a little. Finally it got a point where he could just about see what was going on it there. None of it meant anything to him, however he could make out something which looked to have twisted itself around one of the pipes. As he reached in and pulled it free the pipe exploded and bob fell back right onto his back.