Outside, the rain cascaded down the window of the bus in long rivulets. Inside, the droplets of condensation trickled down the panes. A dank, pungent aroma emanated from the sopping coats on the many bodies squeezed together. They were jostled by the movement of the bus as it made its way along the winding roads into town.
I watched a droplet of moisture as it rolled down the window, leaving a clear trail in its wake. From the corner of my eye, I glanced at the two girls huddled in the seat in front of me.
I was a little higher than them, being in a seat positioned above the wheel arch of the bus. The two girls looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. Sat so close as though they could not bare to be apart, they brushed their lips together in a gentle caress. My eyes darted around the bus to see if someone else had noticed. As usual everyone was in their own little world: staring out the window or at their phones, wearing ear buds, and generally avoiding having to make contact with anyone.
The girls were in a world of their own; locked in each other’s gaze as they whispered what I guessed were sweet nothings. They could not take their eyes off each other. The blonde held out her hand, palm up, and her brunette companion placed her hand on top. Their fingers locked, wrapping their hands together in their laps.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I remembered the joy of new love. Overcome by wistfulness, I recalled a time when my life was consumed by my feelings. The longing to be together. The endless little texts back and forth when we were not.
These girls were taking their first steps into adult life, it’s trials and tribulations, it’s loves and losses.
I wished I could go back and relive those thrilling and carefree days.
The last twenty years of my life flashed before my eyes. Then again, maybe I don’t.
