Inappropriate conversations with strangers at bus stops

It wasn’t quite raining yet, but the sky was threatening it. Great, Ruby thought, just what I need when I’m late for the bus. She grabbed her handbag and was halfway out the door, when she lunged back and grabbed her keys as well. That was lucky. Her landlord wouldn’t be pleased at being called out for the third time in two months if she locked herself out again.

On the way to the bus stop she dug about and made sure she had everything; phone, keys (just!), purse, and all the other random bits that lived in the bottom of her bag. The chances of ever needing a safety pin or bottle opener where slim, but it was reassuring to be over-prepared. Besides, Ruby didn’t trust her memory. Bringing everything was easier than having to remember all the individual things she needed.

What she hadn’t brought was an umbrella, so when the rain started she gave up on her last shreds of dignity and jogged to the bus stop. She’d hoped she could get away without anyone noticing, but there was already an old woman sat there. Ruby gave her a sheepish smile and moved to the other end of the shelter as she started trying to restyle her hair.

“Horrible weather isn’t it?” the old lady asked.

Great, one of these. “Sure is. Wouldn’t be so bad if it could decide what it was doing from one day to the next.”

“Oh, I know. No matter how big they make hand-bags, there’s never quite enough space for everything is there?”

“My mum always says we’ll just fill whatever space we’re given,” Ruby said awkwardly. Despite the frequency with which she did it, running late always knocked her for six, and she usually used the bus ride into town to get her head on straight again. It looked as though this woman wasn’t going to let her go without a full blown conversation, so Ruby tried to pull herself back to the present.

“That’s true I suppose,” the old woman continued, oblivious to the discomfort she was causing Ruby. “It’s like houses I suppose. Whenever you move to a larger place you just end up spreading out, until you wonder how you ever fitted in something smaller.”

“I’m still in a flat at the moment.” Ruby plonked herself on the stupid angled bench next to the old woman. Might as well be comfortable in some respect.

“Ah, you’ve still got all that to go.” The woman gave her that special smile that the old reserved for the young; a mix of nostalgia and vicarious anticipation, topped up with a hint of condescending know-it-all-ness. All Ruby could do was give a tight smile in return. “I remember the first house my husband and I moved into.” The woman shuffled over as if she was about to share some scandalous secret. “It was down by the river, back in the day when young people could afford property down there. Two floors, a small garden out the back facing the river.”

Ruby’s smile grew. “That sounds wonderful.” She’d always loved being near the water, and couldn’t think of anything nicer that a river-view. Imagine-

“It was an absolute fucking dive,” the old woman said flatly.

There was a moment’s pause as the words sunk in, before Ruby burst out laughing. “Oh no!” she giggled when she’d gotten herself under control a little. She was trying to remember if she’d ever heard anyone over the age of seventy swear before. This frail little lady had to be pushing eighty, surely?

“Oh yes. A complete dive. It flooded every winter, and in summer it was full of midges. We couldn’t move out of there fast enough.” She gave Ruby a sidewards glance. “You shouldn’t trust all these old people who say it was better in their day. They’re all talking bollocks you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The girls weren’t going to believe Ruby when she told them about this swearing little woman.

“But it was our house,” the woman said with a determined smile.

“How long did you stay there?” Ruby’s brain had settled again, and the idea of a conversation didn’t seem all that bad any more. The casual use of swear words had a bonding effect it seemed.

“Six years.”

“Really? Even with it being that bad?”

“We didn’t have much of a choice.” The woman’s eyes shifted as she checked there was no-one else around. “I was pregnant when we moved in.” She didn’t quite whisper it, but Ruby could tell that it took a conscious effort not to.

“Ah, wow.”

“Yeah. It’s a good thing my parents were never any good with numbers. That and my first child was a little late out. They were okay with me moving in with him because we got married the day after we got the key’s to our first house. I never had the heart to tell them I was already four weeks pregnant at that stage.”

“Gosh.” Ruby had half a dozen friends who were unmarried and had children, but she couldn’t imagine what it would’ve been like to live like that all those years ago.

The old woman must’ve read something of that in her face. She laughed. “Doesn’t mean much to you does it? Things have changed a lot since then.”

“No, it’s just-” Just what? The fact I met you five minutes ago and you’ve confessed to something you never told your parents? “You must’ve really loved him.”

The woman’s smile faded for an instant, but it was back a second later. “Yes. I suppose I did. Back in those days I was just grateful to anyone who paid me any attention. Same as today I guess. Life comes full circle doesn’t it?” The old woman gave Ruby a cheeky wink and Ruby was laughing again.

“I’ll remember that as well!”

“Definitely. A beautiful young woman like you can afford to be picky, but trust me, when you hit fifty don’t bother with standards. It’s all down-hill from there anyway. A man hits on you after then, just go with it. If you’re lucky you’ll start losing your eyesight. It’s easier to imagine they look nicer when you can’t see them properly.”

Ruby had her hand pressed over her mouth, not even worrying about messing up her lipstick, but it didn’t stop the snorts of laughter escaping. It wasn’t long before she was bent double in her seat, desperately trying not to think about old people… courting, but unable to keep a string of hilarious, bad-taste scenarios out of her head.

Oh god, Ruby thought as she sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes, I want to be like this woman when I’m older. Life goals, right here. None of that ‘sitting in a care home doing jigsaws’. Inappropriate conversations with strangers at bus stops and even more inappropriate hook-ups all the way.

That decided, Ruby threw herself into the conversation with this old lady, determined to find out all her tips for living life to the fullest. As the rain kept falling around them the old woman gave her advice on travelling (“go places you shouldn’t, then just act like a helpless woman, everyone falls for that”), parenthood (“never let the buggers know how much power they have”) and work (“pull a sickie at least twice a year”).

Buses on other routes came and went, and every time they did Ruby had a rush of panic at the thought that the old woman would leave her.

“No, not this one,” the woman said each time however, and Ruby’s sighs of relief got bigger each time.

Ruby hadn’t even noticed that her own bus was late as usual. Let it be late. This woman’s far more interesting than the girls waiting for me at the restaurant. She’d heard all their stories, but this woman was a font of new tales.

As with all things though, the encounter finally came to an end. Ruby’s bus pulled up at the stop, although she almost missed it entirely.

“Oh, shit,” she gasped when she noticed it. “This is me. Are you coming?” It was a stupid question, as all the other buses had been, and the old woman gave Ruby a slight nod.

“Yes, one second. Oh crap.” The woman sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Ruby had one foot in the bus now and was getting glares from the driver. There was no way she was going to be intimidated though, not in front of the legendary-sweary-woman-of-the-bus-stop.

“I’ve forgotten something at home. I need to go back and get it. You go on, don’t miss your bus.”

“Oh. Right.”

The old woman gave her a huge, wicked grin and waved before heading out into the rain. For another moment Ruby stood watching her, desperate to say something else. The driver gave her an unsubtle cough however, and Ruby knew better than to push him. She got on and scanned her ticket, still ignoring the evil looks she was getting, before heading up to the top deck.

The feeling of dislocation was back. All that time talking to the old woman, and then suddenly she was gone with barely a proper goodbye. I didn’t even get her bloody name. Maybe she’ll be there tomorrow? Ruby wouldn’t need the bus tomorrow, but she could head out and check anyway. She would head out and check. I can’t leave it like this.

At the end of the road the bus got stopped by the traffic lights, and the sense of loss made Ruby turn back and look at the bus stop.

“What the-?”

The little old woman was there again, sat just where she’d been before the bus turned up. Ruby was out of her seat and ready to run downstairs and get the driver to open the door when it hit her.

The woman hadn’t been home. She couldn’t have, there hadn’t been time.

Slowly Ruby went back to her seat and kept watching. Another woman turned up at the bus stop, and the old woman started talking to her, exactly like she had with Ruby. A little glimmer of betrayal flared in Ruby’s heart, but she let her pity swallow it.

The bus finally pulled away, and the little old lady disappeared around the corner.