Bus lady

Michelle sat down at the bus stop to wait, right next to the older lady she always saw. For two years Michelle had been taking the bus to school, and for two years this woman was sitting there waiting, having arrived long before Michelle had, but never seeming to get on a bus. She was always there waiting when Michelle arrived, when she got on her bus, and when she returned at the end of the day. As the days went by, she became more and more curious about the woman and why she was there, but never once had she mustered the courage to ask.

At least, not the woman herself. She had asked many of her fellow bus riders, both drivers and passengers. Most of them had noticed her, too, and noticed just how frequently she was sitting there, and how she never seemed to get on any bus. Drivers had frequently asked her which bus she was waiting for, if she needed a ride anywhere, but she would smile at them and shake her head, saying that it wouldn't be long now, and nothing more.

Looking at the lady out of the corner of her eye, Michelle could see that she was old and thin. More so than she had previously realized. It looked as though she barely ate or drank, like she had been sitting in the shade at all times and hadn't been touched by the sun in years. Her breathing was slow and shallow, only ever so slightly lifting her chest with each intake of air. Her clothing was faded and thin - and looking at it, Michelle realized that it was the same clothing that the woman had been wearing every time she had seen her.

How long had she been sitting there, waiting? Had she ever moved once in the last two years?

"Excuse me?" Michelle asked quietly, no longer able to hold back the questions in her mind. "Are you ok, ma'am?"

The lady turned to her and smiled, her skin wrinkling heavily at the corners of her lips. "I'm fine, dear," she said calmly, though her voice was weak. "Why do you ask?"

"I just... I always see you sitting here. But I've never seen you get on a bus."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere, dear. You see, my husband left to go to the store and pick up a few things. I'm just waiting for him to return."

"But... You've been here for so long..."

"He'll come back soon enough..."

And that's when Michelle realized the state of the old woman's mind.