The Bus RIde

The bus ride into town was something to remember. There were quite a few students who were standing in the aisle, hanging onto seats and rail bars above their heads. The tarpaulin that served as windows were drawn down tightly and even though there was a transparent square for them to look out, Jonathan couldn’t see a thing. The rain was pelting down so hard that he couldn’t even see out the driver’s windscreen.

However, he didn’t think this lack of view would affect the bus driver. Most of the drivers in Fiji drove with their eyes closed anyway. The bus went over a big pot hole and all the children in the bus shouted as some skidded across wet floors, bumped into each other and even fell (deliberately) onto others they liked and disliked.

‘Oilei! Driver – you trying to break our bums or what?’ a student called out. ‘Oi, can you hear us or not?’

‘It’s no use Peli,’ someone else answered. ‘He’s not listening to us. Can’t you see the old socks in his ears?’

‘I knew there was something funny about his looks today,’ the first student called Peli replied. ‘And look, he’s even got his raincoat on. Oilei, there’s even goggles around his head. Is he planning to take us for a swim or what?’

‘Maybe he plans to drown us in one of these potholes,’ another student shouted. ‘Oi driver watch where you driving man! That last pothole was the size of the Olympic pool man!’

‘Man this is great. No school today and most likely all week!’ Another student called out.

‘Great for you maybe but not for me,’ someone else said in response. The voice was a little glum.

‘Oso.. what you complaining for Wais? Oh yeah I forgot – you have to shave your auntie’s beard when you get home right?’

The whole bus burst into laughter.

‘You are one to laugh. I seen your mother you know. Her moustache was bigger than your father’s!’ The boy called Wais rebutted. There was a fresh uproar of laughter.

‘Ok ok. Let’s not talk about our mothers and aunties anymore!’ The perpetrator said loudly. ‘We wanna sleep tonight and don’t wanna dream of plucking their beards out.’

Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the bus. At some point or the other, each of them had to endure a loving female relative’s embrace and suffer the harsh scrape of their facial attributes. It wasn’t pleasant.

The bus hit another pothole and the students lurched to one side and then the other. Jonathan grimaced as three students squashed him against the window before releasing him. He regretted having chosen the seat right next to the window then – it meant that he was the furthest in and didn’t have the safety of the aisle to escape to. But then again, he didn’t have to endure sweating arm pits from those students who were standing. Anyway, his stop was coming up soon so he didn’t have to endure it for long.

At last the bus pulled to a stop and Jonathan disembarked with a grateful sigh. He shielded his face against the rain as much as he could with his bag and ran towards the bar. It loomed in front of him, its doors promising him dry warmth and hopefully, a story from Popo. He pushed the door open and entered.

‘Oi boy! Who said you can come in here? Get out or I’ll call the police for skipping school!’

Jonathan recognised the voice. He’d heard it before being used on Popo although it had no effect on her. Jovelisi. The big, dumb and lazy man who thought he was a security guard but really, was no more than a door man who never opened doors. Instead, he spent his time on the internet trying to find himself a wife. Jonathan faced him.

‘School’s been cancelled because of the flood,’ he said. ‘I’m supposed to wait here for my mother.’

However, for no reason as usual, Jovelisi was in a nasty mood.

‘Oh we have a smart mouth here. Some white boy who thinks he can tell me what to do eh? Well, get lost! This place is for paying customers only so tell your mother to find you another nursery.’

‘You can tell her yourself,’ Jonathan said calmly. ‘I’m not going to disobey her and I shall wait here until she arrives.’

‘What did you say?’ Jovelisi suddenly shouted, his face pulling into the ugliest frown. Jonathan could even see his nostril hairs. ‘You get out of here now or I shall throw you out you white, cheeky smart mouth! I’ve seen you talking to that old china woman. You and her, both lazy good for nothings while people like me have to work hard and - ’

‘And what Jovelisi?’ a cold, hard voice asked from behind him.

Jovelisi’s face visibly changed. It went from fierce to kicked dog and he straightened up, almost humbly to face the newcomer. His boss.

She was a tall, mixed woman of Fijian, European descent and right then, she looked furious.

‘What were you saying to the boy Jovelisi?’ she asked coldly.

‘I was um..telling him to leave Ms.Rounds,’ Jovelisi replied. ‘He’s trying to cause trouble. He’s supposed to be at school.’

‘Oh? And what were you saying about the china woman who right now is shifting boxes in the back that you were supposed to be doing?’

Jovelisi visibly paled.

Ms. Rounds continued speaking. ‘I thought I heard you call her a good for nothing lazy woman isn’t that right? And because she’s just so lazy, you made her, a seventy year old woman, move heavy boxes so that you can look for women on the internet? And then, you saw it fit to throw out a young boy in the rain when he’s supposed to wait for his mother? I think I’ve heard enough Jovelisi. Please collect your pay from my office and don’t come back here again. Ever! Or I’ll have you thrown out.’

Jovelisi’s face transformed once more into an ugly person.

‘You can’t do this to me! You have no right to kick me out and keep that old china - ’ a hand came across his face, leaving a red mark. Jovelisi growled and leapt forward but was stopped abruptly by a large, dark Fijian man that appeared out of nowhere. He twisted Jovelisi’s arm behind him and before he could scream out in pain, the dark man bundled him forward and outside.

Jonathan and the woman watched as the dark man said some things in Jovelisi’s ear and then witnessed the bully fall to the ground, pleading. The dark man pointed a finger indicating that Jovelisi leave and the bully did so with relief. Within seconds, he had disappeared around the corner. The dark man walked back into the bar.

‘I don’t think we’ll see him ever again,’ he told them.

‘Good!’ Ms Rounds replied. She looked down at Jonathan.

‘Are you ok?’ she asked.

Jonathan nodded. Ms Rounds smiled at him. ‘He was such a nasty person I know. But unfortunately very clever. I couldn’t fire him without a good reason and you provided it to us. Do you want a hot chocolate while you wait for your mother? It’ll be my treat.’

Jonathan nodded and smiled his thanks. Ms Rounds headed to the bar to order his drink and so he made his way to the corner table by the window. It was cosy there and he’d be able to see his mother when she arrived. The waitress brought his hot chocolate over and placed another cup of tea on the table.

‘Um excuse me but I didn’t order the cup of tea,’ Jonathan told her.

‘Oh don’t worry,’ the waitress replied. ‘It’s for Popo. You’ll be having tea with her!’ She threw him a friendly smile before walking off.

Jonathan looked about for Popo. She was nowhere to be seen. Strange, he thought. How did she know he was there?