II. crossing path's
933 Words
CALVIN'S POV:
Run, Run...
All I know how to do is run.
I've been running from my problems since I was eight years old.
I quietly thought, 'What would happen if I stopped-'
This thought amazed me, I never give up, I fight.
In between my thoughts, I wondered who that nice girl was back there, I mean she looked-
I need to stop, I want to stop
I finally stopped-
*Pant, Pant*
'Maldito, ¿qué tan lejos he llegado?'
('Damn, how far have I gotten?') I said as I looked backward.
---
I walked over to the nearest bus bench and sat down.
There was this old lady sitting there, reading a PEOPLE's magazine.
She seemed very-
She interrupted my thoughts, "Hiya!" she said while waving at me.
"Oh, Hola, I mean Hello," I said as I corrected myself.
"Oooooo, you look very handsome and you got an accent, who you dressed up for?"
"Um no one in particular," I replied running out of breath to talk back with.
"How was that run? Must've run a long way, there is nothing here for miles."
"Mhmm, I've been running all my life, kind of my specialty," I *smiled softly* back at her.
"Well, I can see that, I mean look how fit and handsome you look."
"Where you headed?" she asked.
"Easterwood."
"Hmm, I've been there you guys cook the best Lobsters," she replied.
"Oh no, I think you mean Estherwood, yeah they got some good seafood up there."
"Right, Estherwood. Hmm, I've been to so many places I'm starting to confuse things up."
I quietly thought, 'I mean the thought didn't phase me, she kinda is old'.
"You're probably thinking, I'm so old, of course, I misconfuse towns together but you wouldn't believe it if I told you I had the best memory in my early ages."
"I believe you," I said as I lied.
"You don't gotta lie, I won't be offended."
IS SHE READING MY MIND, SHE LITERALLY IS READING MY MIND!
"You're wondering how I know what you're thinking, I don't, I think I just have a good guess," she commented while smirking.
WELL DAMN.
---
"Where are you headed?" I asked.
"I'm visiting my son and his family up in Cottagetown or Wattagetown. I'm real excited," she said while pointing at the bus map.
"As you should."
---
We both continued to sit there sharing our stories with one another, as well as our names.
I gotta admit this is the most real conversation I've had in a while.
"So, where do you get your Hispanic side from, Calvin?"
"Um- I get it from my dad, he uh- passed away a few years back from a liver failure."
"My mom's Hispanic too, but she hides it cause she re-married an American."
"Oh- wow. I'm sorry to hear that, your too young to be experiencing all this trauma in your life," she talked as she patted me on the back.
"Yeah, I guess so," I responded back.
"Well, what about you? How's your life?"
"I mean nothing close to what you've experienced, but I've had my battles too."
She continued on, "I lost my father too at an early age, he died at the hands of a drunk driver."
"I- mean," she tried to say as tears were forming.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry."
"Oh no, you didn't. I mean it's apart of life, it's bound to happen to me one of these days."
"DON'T SAY THAT!"
"I mean I have to face it, I'm getting old," she said on, as she chuckled.
"We can't think like that, I mean we just have to live our lives."
"Yeah-" she said as I gave her a tissue, and we drifted off from the conversation.
"Well, how're your grandkids?"
"I'm hoping they're fine, I've never seen them before, this is actually my first time."
"My son, he and I-, we don't get along that well, but we're trying to fix that."
"May I ask why?"
"We just don't agree on certain things. I guess after a while it was hard for the both of us to share common ground with so many of our differences, so he moved away."
"Well, that must've been tough on you."
"Yeah, it was so bad that I missed his wedding, his children's birth, all of it."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Again, it ain't your fault, it's just apart of life, we forgive, forget, and move on."
"Right," I said as we continued sharing our lives with each other.
---
"You DID WHAT, Marsha?" I asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I'm not kidding I went bungee jumping before!" she said as she continued to laugh at my reaction.
"Wow, I just didn't-"
"Didn't see what?" she said sternly.
"..see you as the type to go do stuff like that," I said while rubbing my hand behind my neck nervously.
"Well, don't women just surprise you?" she smirked.
"Yep, they sure do."
We both notice the bus started to approach us.
"Man, it was nice talking to you."
"Yeah, it was nice talking to you as well," she replied.
"Sit together on the bus?"
"Sure, you seem like a nice young fella."
We both got up walking towards the bus lane.
Marsha stood first, picking up her purse and magazine.
I followed right after her...
I grabbed my jacket and started to enter the bus when-
---
"CALVIN..." Marsha said worriedly.
"Calvin, are you ok-?"
"CALVIN!!"
Those were the last words I could make out before slipping out of consciousness.
- Writer
