BUS STORY # 103 (Lost)

The Rapid Ride pulls into the San Mateo station. Folks exit, folks board. From behind me, a man moves quickly, purposefully, down the aisle. He’s looking at each seat, under each seat. Near the front, he turns to the back and shrugs his shoulders. He walks to the back of the bus.

He’s wearing worn blue jeans and a blue plaid flannel shirt. He’s dark-skinned, short, solid. Thick black hair. I’m thinking Mexican.

He returns, this time with a woman. She is a female version of him, including the jeans and shirt. They are looking at each of the seats. Midway down, he leaves her in the aisle and goes to the front and speaks with the driver. Then he returns to the woman and resumes the search.

They are quick, efficient, unsuccessful. At the front of the bus, they look at each other. The sense of loss is palpable. They go to the first exit door. She turns and looks at him. He goes back up the aisle searching.

The driver and the rest of us are patient. Several of us are turning to look under seats around us. We don’t know what we’re looking for, but we’re looking anyway.

He returns to the woman empty-handed. He has to nudge her, gently, out the door.

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Thanks to BB in Marshfield, MA, for this week's This Month In feature.