97 Special Bus

The Little Red Haired Girl

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97 Special Bus

“Can I go outside to play? Can I call Nana back yet?” the Little Red Haired Girl asked. “No child, Nana needs to rest awhile. Let’s be considerate and bear in mind her age and energy levels” cried Heart.
“Ok, but Grandad could come. Do you think he would?”
“I am not sure” Heart was concerned.

“When I go and visit and bake with Nana, sometimes she got tired and would ask Grandad to walk me to the bus stop and wait with me till the bus came.”
“That was nice of him. He wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“Yes but it made him cross sometimes coz the bus was always late. Sometimes we walked down the factory lane to catch a later bus, a different one that was red and a double decker. It was further to walk, but I didn’t mind and neither did he.”

“Really, why was that?”
“Coz he told me special stories, it gave us time for special stories. Stories about his Mummy and Daddy who lived in a big house with horses and farm land.”
“Oh how lovely.”
“He said he went to a posh school, one where the children live at and go home to see their parents in holiday time, but it didn’t make him sad, he liked the school and his pals there,”

“That’s interesting. It was a boarding school then?”
“Is that what they call it? A boarding school?”
“Yes. Often children have to be very clever to get to go to them.”

“Or rich” stated Brain and Heart ignored the comment.

“Grandad was clever. Grandad was good at Maths and helped me learn my tables.”
“All forgotten now then” muttered Brain.
The Little Red Haired Girl just stared and Brain felt admonished without a word leaving the child’s lips.

“So you enjoyed your chats with Grandad on the way to the bus stop, even though it was a longer walk?” Heart continued.

“Yes until he got watery eyes and had to find his handkerchief to blow his nose. Grandad always had a handkerchief and some had his name sewn in the corner. Nana used to let me iron them if I wanted coz they were easy and square. She showed me how to do it inwards from the stitches on all four sides first so that they got flat first and then iron to the middle. The point then didn’t get stuck in the letters in the corner, or the stitches and then they didn’t get broken.”

“Is there any ‘point’ to this chat?” Brain snapped.

“Be quiet Brain” Heart reprimanded “What harm does it do to let the child have fond memories?”
“None I guess” stated Brain.
“Then be quiet.”

“Grandad tried to be quiet when he blew his nose but I knew he was sad. He had sparkles on his cheeks.”
“Sparkles?” cried Heart.
“Tears. I saw them in the sunlight.”
“Oh dear, did you ask him why?”
“Yes but he said I wouldn’t understand as I had both of my parents. His parents died and went to heaven when he was only a little older than me.”

“Oh how sad. What happened?”
“A big horse caused an accident and killed his Daddy but his Mummy died when she was poorly. So he had to leave his pals at school and go to find a job. His Uncle told him so.”

“Who was his Uncle?” Brain asked.
“Someone who was left in charge of him. Told him and his sister what to do, where to go and was very bossy. Grandad said that’s how he met Nana, he went to work on Nana’s farm and fell in love with her. He got all goey eyed when he was telling me.”

“What happened to Uncle?” Brains interest was peeked.

“Grandad said he took all his Daddy’s money and house and everything. It made him stutter and get cross. but he said nothing could be done about it now. It was done and gone.”

“Tell me more” Brains interest was unnerving Heart.
“Don’t interrogate her Brain, let her be.”

“It’s Ok” the Little Red Haired Girl said. “Grandad was sad but I just listened till we got to the bus stop.”

“What else did he say?” Brain asked in a softer manner.

“Nothing. The bus came and he said ‘cheerio.’ I sat on the top deck so I could see better and wave goodbye to Grandad. Till the next time.”