bill the bus driver’s warning that the bus might start filling up as it passed through west virginia was proving correct.
there were only a few empty seats when the bus made a half hour rest stop, just before midnight, halfway through the state.
as maria got off the bus with her new friends billy and ray, bill stopped her. “better buy a ticket here. and then get back here before it fills up. i probably won’t be able to let you on without a ticket.”
maria considered this. “how much to new york from here?”
“about eight dollars/“
“eight dollars! that’s robbery!”
“i don’t make the fares, i just collect them.”
maria looked around. the night was dark and cloudy, with no moon showing.. billy and ray and three or four other passengers had disappeared into the coffee shop beside the small, dimly lit station.
“i don’t see anybody with tickets waiting to get on,” maria said.
“trust me, they can show up. and i only got three empty seats right now.”
“but… eight dollars!”
“i tell you what, if you buy a ticket to pittsburgh you should be o k. it’s just these hatfields and mccoys getting on and off around here, like i told you.”
“how much is the ticket to pittsburgh?”
“about three dollars.”
maria looked up at the sky. it looked like it might rain, and she felt rain in the air.
“o k,, i’ll do that.”
“glad to hear it. but you better be quick, in case someone gets here before you.”
“all right. thanks for your help.”
“i’m here to serve.”
maria went into the station. at first she thought it was empty. but then she saw a leather faced old man slouched on a bench. his face was almost hidden by a floppy straw hat.
there was nobody behind the ticket counter.
“hello!” maria called. “anybody here?”
“preacher’s here,” the old man on the bench announced in a whispery voice. “he’s out back.”
“hello!!” maria called louder. “hello!”
“ain’t no use to yell,” the old man said. “preacher’s up to his business, he’ll be back when he gets back.”
maria turned to the old man. “but he will be back?”
“why, i expect he will. he ain’t going nowhere, so far as i know. ain’t got no place to go.” the old man chuckled.
“thank you.” maria decided to join billy and ray in the coffee shop.
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