One Way Bus Ticket to Cleveland

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I walked into the bus station on a sunny afternoon to purchase a one-way bus ticket to Cleveland.  The woman behind the counter looked at me with questioning pity in her eyes.  Why would a woman be buying a one-way bus ticket to of all places, Cleveland?   I chose to buy the ticket in advance to save money. I was planning ahead of time for when I was going to make my escape.  I had so much to do for this trip.  I had to get all my ducks in a row.  What should I take with me and what should I leave behind?  That question plagued me as I went home to prepare for my trip.  I had a couple of weeks to get on with my life until the day of my departure. 

A few weeks later I traveled from my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie to Cleveland by bus.  What an adventure.  During the entire process of this trip I learned a lot about values and personalities of others and myself. We were late departing and to make matters worse the bus driver stopped by the side of the road on I-75 to St. Ignace while he was talking on his cellphone. That surprised me.  The bus driver seemed to be angry about something.  When you use any form of public transportation you are at the mercy of vehicles and planes running smoothly and human error.  I was already getting concerned about late arrivals and missing connections. This felt all too familiar. 

The bus driver who took over driving the bus from St. Ignace to Lansing was a lot friendlier and didn’t seem to be as distracted as the other bus driver.  I discovered that the bus stopped at sites even if there were no passengers who boarded the bus at these locations. It seems as if time and gas could be saved by communicating with the drivers that no one purchased a ticket from these sights so they didn’t have to stop.Or do they have to stop at all the scheduled locations to develop a routine? 

We stopped in Grayling at this bakery and deli at around lunchtime to get something to eat.  Our time there was shortened considerably because the bus was running late. I talked with the bus driver and he assured me that we were going to arrive on time in Lansing so that we would make our connections.  He said that he has never been so late that passengers didn’t make their connections. The bus driver demonstrated that he cared about my concerns, an admirable quality.

On the way to various towns sometimes we would stop longer so the bus driver and passengers could have smoke breaks.  I got off the bus to stretch my legs and wandered off to escape the cloud of smoke that was heavy in the air. What a nasty and expensive habit.

During our stop in Claire, MI a young man boarded the bus.  He was busy listening to music and kept looking back at me.  We struck up a conversation.  He was traveling to North Carolina to attend a religious camp that provided services for people who needed assistance.  His name was Eric.  He asked where I was going and why.  I told him that my final destination was Cleveland and why I was going there.  It was nice to see a young person who was interested in someone else’s life.

We finally reached Lansing, a little later than scheduled.  However, to our dismay the bus Eric and I were going to ride from Lansing to Detroit was running late due to mechanical problems.  Oh no!!  We befriended a woman whose name was Loretta and we, meaning Eric and I, watched each other’s luggage and provided each other with support while waiting for the bus to arrive.  When it finally arrived, we loaded our luggage and then Lorretta, Eric and I sat in the back seat of the bus together to provide each other with the comfort of familiarity. The bus was crowded and we soon became a minority.  I was reminded how comforting it is to receive and provide support to others. 

Lorretta shared why she was on the bus with Eric while my head was propped against the window with my eyes close. She told Eric that she hasn’t been home for months since around Christmas time. Lorretta’s home is located in the Detroit area. Her husband and daughters have come to visit her in the area on a few occasions.  Her oldest daughter graduated from high school. She was visiting her parents in Marquette.  I could tell Eric was struggling with the idea of Marquette and a mother not living with or seeing her children.  He was trying to appear that he accepted what she was telling him; but he was finding it difficult.  Lorretta was returning home to her family, her children and her husband, that was the purpose of her bus ride to Detroit.  Lorretta was an interesting character.  At the risk of sounding judgmental, she had blond hair that was streaked with a dull pink.  It would have been intriguing to learn more about her story considering what was already revealed.  Was she visiting her parents because of a sick parent?  The questions could go on and on. 

The bus arrived in Detroit a little late; but it didn’t appear to be a problem because the drivers’ were not prepared for us to board.   I had to stand in line and have tickets reissued for Greyhound.  My original ticket was issued under Indian Trails from Detroit to Cleveland.  Eric had a tighter connection so I asked another traveler if he could go in front of us.  She did so reluctantly and then two passengers were taking what seemed like forever to obtain tickets to ride the bus from Detroit to whatever their destination was and I became frustrated.  I finally got through that line and then became confused about what line to be in to board the bus.  I was told what line and then discovered that information was incorrect.  I helped another woman who was confused also.  She was so grateful.

The bus had a final destination posted as New York.  I guess that was the final destination of the bus. I asked the driver to make sure I was boarding the right bus and he reassured me. Later on I met the same woman who I helped earlier and she smiled at me, again thanking me for my guidance.  I discovered that we can rely on others and can be of support when we are in situations filled with strangers.  Kindness exists in the most unlikely circumstances. 

Finally, on the bus, I chose to sit in the back seat again. The bus was very crowded. I sat next to a young man of what appeared to be of African American descent.  In the beginning, he had his eyes closed most of the time; but when they were open he begin to tell me about not being able to make his final destination until the following day.  The bus he was scheduled to ride from his previous destination to Detroit happen to be hours late. He didn’t have any money.  I looked at his clothing. He was wearing what appeared to be expensive shoes, and clothes.  He complained about being hungry and broke.  I offered some of my trail mix.  In my homemade trail mix, I included Wasabi peas.  They are rather hot and spicy.  He said they were good; but a little too hot for him to tolerate. This young man explained that he recently had surgery and proceeded to show me his scar on his stomach, too much information.  After taking his clothes into consideration among other things, I handed him $5. which included a short lecture about leaving home without being prepared.  He needed to pack things to eat and bring money. He listened and then thanked me.

I finally arrived in Cleveland at approximately 9:30 p.m. The bus stopped outside the gates to the bus station like a pilot would do when waiting for someone to manage gate services at an airport.  So close yet so far away.  We waited for approximately ten minutes until the bus driver drove to the boarding area.  My friend was outside waiting for me. Her brother was inside the terminal.  She offered to carry some of my luggage, which was so nice of her. I discovered her brother was afraid to come into the city of Cleveland and the bus terminal was in the heart of Cleveland city proper.  He has lived in the Cleveland area most of his life, if not all of his life.  Everyone has fears. 

To tell you the truth, I am uncomfortable being in big cities.  I am not comfortable around too many people and I sometimes feel anxious when I am unfamiliar with my surroundings.  I grew up in a small town with a population of 2,500 during the winter months and approximately 3,500 to 4,000 during the summer months.

I spent one night in Cleveland at my friend Betty’s home, which is the home of her mother.  Her mother was a treat.  She is over 90 years old.  She told me that I would be more than welcomed to come again and visit.  The rest of the week was spent in Cincinnati with Betty.  Betty had a book signing with other authors for a book they co-wrote.  I attended a writers’ group and attended a publisher’s board meeting.  I met a lot of Betty’s acquaintances and friends.  The last night we were in Cincinnati we had dinner with a young woman, Daphne, and her husband, Keith, at Outback near the motel we were staying at.  They are computer experts and work with marketing. She is also a college professor. Daphne informed us that they appeared as extras in the movie the “Avengers.” She offered to help me with setting up a website among other computer issues I may experience in my quest to becoming more adept with expanding my horizons with social media. 

Daphne is a gorgeous woman whose origins are based in India.  She was going to be a bridesmaid for a friend.  Daphne was concerned that the bridesmaid’s dress she was going to wear was going to make her look fat.  Now according to most standards, Daphne was the perfect weight.  Keith stated that she couldn’t look fat in anything.  I was reminded about how critical and uncomfortable we can be in our own bodies, even people who can be considered very attractive struggle with the way they look. 

I met my husband Don in the Dayton area at his stepfather’s home on Friday.  Our fifth child, Don’s youngest, was graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Wright State University. I was thrown in the mix with Don’s ex-wife and his family.  Calgon take me away.  It was nice to get away and explore busy cities and it made me really appreciate the pace of Sault Ste Marie.