[ There is sex in this story, but most of it isn't enjoyable. I have interviewed enough young women who have told their stories enough like the first part of this one that I felt compelled to tell it, for them. I pray their stories end up being better for them. Your comments and votes are welcomed. ]
The bus bench could comfortably hold three people, if they were friendly. Usually someone comes to the bench when it is empty, picks an end and sits. The next person waiting for the bus sits at the other end. Six months ago a young woman started arriving at six-twenty and always sat on the Vermont end of the bench. In one or two minutes an older man arrived, said "Good Morning" and sat at the other end of the bench.
The young woman looked barely old enough to be out of school. She dressed in earth colors, dark pants and her hair was always in a pony tail. She wore glasses and carried a canvas purse. She was slender and had nice sized boobs, not huge but nice sized and shaped, the man noticed.
She got back off at the same stop at seven in the evening or about ten minutes later.
After a month of her routine something changed. One morning, when she arrived at the bench a man about twenty-five was sitting in her spot. He was nicely dressed, very thin, short hair and had a well trimmed goatee. As she sat down he asked if this bus would take him downtown.
She said she thought so. On that first day that was the end of the conversation. On the second day he thanked her, telling her that he got to where he was going with no problem. They talked briefly and the bus came.
Four days out of five he was there and spoke to her. One morning when she arrived he had two cups of coffee waiting. She tried to refuse politely, but in the end she gave in. They tossed the paper cups in the trash when the bus arrived.
The next morning he stood as he gave her the coffee and when they sat he wasn't exactly at the end of the bench any more. Each day he got closer. On Friday they sat next to each other. Looking at her face one could see she was getting comfortable being with him.
They sat next to each other on the bus as well for a few days.
He found out where she worked, what she did, who she lived with, that she was eighteen and he discovered a lot about what she believed about herself. She was glad to be working. Not only did she like having money of her own but it gave her time to be away from her parents.
She shared a few stories with him about how her mother spoke to her, the things she said and her attitude. Her mother told her she was fat. She would never get married. She had worked hard in school but at home her mother had her raising her brothers and sisters and so she didn't get her homework done all the time.
The man complimented her looks, her strength, her willingness to work and he told her she looked older than eighteen. Maybe twenty.. One morning he brought her a rose. She blushed and held it tightly as they boarded the bus.
Friday of that week he asked her out. They agreed to meet there at the bench at seven-fifteen, go for some dinner and conversation. She was nervous all day long. She was pretty, he said. She was smart, he said. She wanted to believe him. Her dates from high school were mostly gropes and attempts to get into her pants. She hadn't had a second date in her life. When the boys found out she wasn't going to give it up, they didn't come back.
When she got off the bus he was sitting on the bench. He stood and took her hand for the two block walk to the restaurant. She liked how it felt to have him hold her hand.
She ate a good meal. He paid for it and even ordered a glass of wine for them. The server looked at Marie like she was going to ask for her ID to verify she was old enough to drink, then turned and walked away. The wine was her first taste. Her parents did not approve of alcohol.
It was almost nine when they walked out of the restaurant. He broke the news to her then.
"I won't be on the bus any more. My car was being fixed and it's ready. Starting Monday, I won't need the bus."
"I'll miss seeing you every day." She didn't know what else to say.
He gave her a business card. On it were just his name and a phone number. She read it and then looked at his face. "You can call me any time. In fact I'd like it if you would. If you'd give me your number I'd call you."
She hesitated. Momma wouldn't like a man calling for her at home. He seemed to sense why she hesitated. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her.
"This is a gift from me to you. I get a special rate. The number is on the back and the phone is yours. The plan I have only allows local calls so don't try to call your Grandma in Ohio."
"This is too generous! I can't accept!"
"Is that you talking, or your mother?"
She stopped and then put the phone in her purse. "Thank you, Tony. I will call you."
"Especially if there's trouble at home and you need to get away for a while. I'll take care of you. I really like you."
"I'll remember that."
Not wanting her mother to see him she left him at the corner before she was home and walked the last half block alone. As she opened the door she heard her mother's voice.
"It's about damned time! I need help getting these rotten kids into bed! Where the hell have you been?"
"A friend from work and I went for dinner." She went to work herding children into their beds. The tirade continued. Her mother wanted to be upset. She kept asking why this and where that questions but didn't listen to the answers. Even after the kids were in bed and quiet Marie's mother kept up the tirade.
When the kids were in bed her mother got close to Marie and a whole new upset erupted. "You've been drinking!"
"I had a small glass of wine but I didn't finish it."
"You know how God feels about drinking! You think I'll allow a drunk to live here?"
"Momma, I'm not a drunk. I've had half a glass of wine with dinner. In my whole life!"
"That's how it starts! Pretty soon you'll want a bottle in your room. Then you'll start fooling around with men!"
She spit the last word out as though she had said something that made her mouth hurt. Marie looked at her mother and said, "If you hate men so much why are you still married?"
"I found one that at least helps pay the bills. When he cheats he doesn't rub my face in it!"
"Maybe I can find a good one, too."
"You couldn't find your fat ass with a flashlight! Who are you kidding?"
Marie walked away. Fat and stupid. The logic of why her mother would want her to take care of the younger children if she was stupid never crossed her mind. Just the judgment that she was fat and stupid.
In her room her little sister acted like she was asleep until after the door was closed and she couldn't hear her mother ranting through the door. Then she looked at Marie and saw the tears.
In a whisper she said, "Momma doesn't mean it. She's just tired and Daddy didn't come home for dinner tonight."
"Did he call?" Marie whispered too.
"No. Momma waited for a long time then she got angry and threw his food away."
"Let's go to sleep and maybe Momma will too."
"I hope so. I'm worried about Daddy."
"So is Momma. So is Momma."
Marie pulled on a big t-shirt and crawled into her bed. She fell asleep thinking about what Tony had said to her. "I'll take care of you."
She remembered seeing how he paid for their dinner. He paid with a fifty dollar bill from a roll of at least thirty bills. They came from his pocket, not from a wallet. She had never even seen her Dad pay like that.
She and the other children slept for a couple of hours before the storm arrived. The digital alarm clock beside her bed showed 4:25am when she woke to the sound of the front door closing. A few seconds passed and she heard her Momma.
"You smell like a woman! Where have you been?"
Marie heard her Daddy's voice but couldn't make out what he said.
"And, how much of your paycheck did you bring home?"
"What?" She was screaming. Marie heard a plate break. The door to her bedroom opened and her Daddy came in, closing the door to keep Momma out. Daddy looked at the girls and said, "I fucked up. I need to sleep. Sorry girls."
He fell onto the bed alongside Marie and was asleep in seconds. He smelled like sweat and grease and something else. After a while, Marie went back to sleep.
In the morning she woke up to a strange sensation. Her Daddy was spooned up behind her and was holding her breast as he slept. It took her a while to get out of bed. She moved slowly, not wanting to wake him, and she didn't. She dressed and went out of her bedroom, thinking maybe she could get something to eat.
Sitting at the table was her mother. In front of her on the table was a half empty bottle of tequila. As soon as she saw Marie she picked up a coffee mug from the table and threw it at Marie.
"You slut! I know he went into your room last night. He fucked you didn't he? Now you're his whore!"
Marie backed right back into her room. She gathered a few things into her backpack and grabbed her purse. She scampered out the bedroom window and out into the alley. Five minutes later she was a block away and wondering what to do. She had known her Momma drank but had never seen her doing it. She had never been accused of fucking.
For over an hour she wandered the streets. She spent almost four dollars at McDonalds for breakfast. When she paid for the meal she felt the cell phone in her purse. She smiled.
"I can call Tony. He'll help me."
She finished her breakfast and walked to her bus bench. She dialed and Tony answered.
"Tony, it's me Marie."
"I wondered when you'd call. Everything ok?"
"No. Momma and Daddy had a fight. Momma's drunk and Daddy's passed out on my bed. I can't be at home."
"Where are you?"
"Sitting on the bus bench."
"Stay there. I'll be right over."
