Un Unlikely Friendship

Eve never wanted to be that person who chased after the bus, breathless and disheveled upon arrival. She never like buses. Each morning, when she climbed the first step, an acrid smell pierced her nose, at which point she placed her hand over her stomach and willed her breakfast to stay down. Eve was met with odd glances from the other passengers, and no one ever sat beside her. She persisted in wearing a smile and projected a warm presence, but she couldn’t escape the feeling of being on the outside. Eve made the effort to board the bus with a waving hand and a cheerful hello to the driver, only to receive a cold and indifferent response. “Find a seat”, he always barked.

She struggled most days as she worked a thirty-five-hour a week job and attended a local college in the evenings to gain meaningful work skills. Eve wanted a car, but her financial situation wouldn’t allow it. She was on her way to a job interview that would change everything, and now she was running late for it. She spilled coffee all over the front of her new white button-down shirt while running to catch the bus. Great first impression she thought. She tried to find a smiling face or make small talk, but she was repeatedly denied. Until the day Eve met Annie.

“Hi, I’m Annabelle, who are you?” said a lovely older woman sitting next to the only empty seat on the bus. Eve was startled when the small-framed woman with a blue beret started the conversation. Eve’s eyes brightened with delight.

“Oh, hi, I’m Eve. I take this bus every day, but I’ve never seen you on this route before.” Eve hoped her statement didn’t come across negatively.

“You are correct, my dear. I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for many, many years - more than you’ve been alive I suspect, but on my eightieth birthday, I gave up my license and allow this delightful bus driver to chauffeur me around town for daily errands.” Her cheerful outlook was contagious.

“Are we referring to the same driver?” Eve chuckled and recognized her sarcastic tone.

The two women became fast friends by the end of their first bus ride. They reached Annabelle’s stop first, and she paused before standing up, lightly touched Eve’s forearm, and said, “Oh, and my friends call me Annie. See you tomorrow!” With a wink and a smile, she methodically made her way down the bus steps, while Eve sat in disbelief that she just had a meaningful conversation with a real person on the bus. She no longer felt stressed about being late and was ready to enter the interview with confidence.

For the next year, Eve and Annie, although years apart in age, met every single weekday morning and shared light and deep conversations about their lives, families, successes, and failures. They laughed, sometimes cried, but their connection grew stronger, and their relationship blossomed over the months as they packed in countless details in the thirty-minute commute.

Eve no longer ran for the bus because she felt hurried. Rather, she sprinted for the bus because she couldn’t wait to hear of Annie’s adventures from the weekend. Although they never shared contact information, they looked forward to Monday morning’s bus ride. The driver appeared to soften to the point of giving Eve a smirk upon her entry each day. Eve and Annie never ran out of things to talk about as they shared favourite books, recipes, and made promises to have picnics in the park when the weather permitted.

On a rainy Monday in mid-September, Eve ran towards the bus to get out of the rain, and she was looking forward to seeing Annie. She had since purchased a car but chose to ride the bus with her dear friend. Eve baked Annie’s favourite cookies and was excited to celebrate the news of her upcoming graduation. She hopped up the three steps and made her way to her usual seat. The other passengers knew well enough to leave the red velvet covered seats for the two talkative ladies, but Annie was not seated anywhere. For the first time in a year, her close companion was absent, and Eve found it unusual. Annie hadn’t mentioned any reasons for being away.

For the next four days, Eve waited for Annie to show. Friday came and went, and the seat next to her remained empty each morning. There was no way to reach Annie because they had not exchanged phone numbers. Eve’s heart was heavy with concern, but she forced herself to shake it off and patiently waited for the weekend to end.

Eve did not run for the bus the following Monday for fear of not seeing Annie, and as she approached the glass shelter, a much younger woman with an uncanny resemblance to Annie greeted her. Her heart dropped, and she sensed something was off.

“Hi, are you Eve?” asked the young woman who was carrying the same umbrella Annie always did.

“Yes, and you are?”

“I’m Annabelle’s.... Annie’s daughter. I knew this was your bus stop because my mother pointed it out one day and said many wonderful things about you and your friendship with her. Is it ok for me to ride with you this morning? I’ve much to tell you.”

“Yes, please do.” Eve anticipated bad news but was grateful Annie’s daughter came to greet her.

Emily shared the sad news of her mother’s passing the week before but felt she knew Eve already, because Annie would recount their conversations every day upon her return from errands. Emily was happy for her mother’s newfound friendship and for the new hop in her walk.

Eve reached over to take Emily’s forearm. They shared tears at first, followed by a few laughs as they retold anecdotal stories along the route. Eve missed her stop, and they rode the bus for a couple hours until the bus driver asked them to transfer to return home. He didn’t want to rush the conversation and was happy to let them be. The two women looked at one another, exchanged phone numbers, vowed to call, and without another word needing to be said, they realized their budding friendship was Annie’s parting gift to them both.