January 2012
Situated as I am in the far wilds of Benfleet I have need to frequently use the bus.
I have been introduced to many activities and clubs, from local history to shaking the Tambourine at the Salvation Army, from ladies I have travelled with.
I have also learned, by sitting opposite two young men, about the means of getting into places free, cheating the government by saying they needed travel passes to go for a job interview, then selling them on, or, on the railway how to dodge the barrier. All said quite openly from an old hand to a new boy on the block. Nice to know they look after each other, the new guy having just been released from some sort of prison.
One particular late afternoon, catching the bus at the Elms, I sat alongside a well dressed woman. She seemed disturbed and kept looking at her watch. I settled myself more safely in the seat as the number 27 bus has steps up and quite easily seems to throw one off the seat. It has happened to me twice with uncomfortable consequences, mostly as the folks of Southend are rather rotund and take most of the room. I have to say they are very good at picking you off the floor and retrieving the shopping. The driver of course cannot leave his seat as people will nick anything left unguarded. He did ask if I was OK as I very gently exited the bus thirty minutes later on reaching home.
However it caused the woman to start talking. 'I am so late today, I have been out for lunch with friends and we had such news we couldn't really leave.'
'Oh, did you sort the problem?'
'No, how could anyone, we belong to a beauty and health club, have been for years, that's why, being so attached to the teacher, we cannot believe what she has done.
'Well, she is forty and a few months ago had a holiday in Turkey, she had another woman with her and they became friendly with a young man and his friend.
'She is, as you can imagine, very attractive and loves a social life, her ex was like all men, a misery and didn't approve of her dressing herself up to go partying. She ditched him years ago and we thought she had done the right thing and all rallied around her, although to be honest she seemed to take it all in her stride.
'Oh god I wish this bus would hurry, my husband will be home before I have his meal ready and he will be furious.
'Well, the boy came over to see her and she took him into stay in her home. We all thought this was not a good move; he was extremely good looking and she felt completely in love. She was gullible because of her loneliness and when his monthly visa ran out and he had to return she decided she couldn't live without him.'
[Where had I heard this story before?]
'She therefore decided to sell her business and start one there in Turkey. We were stunned; where would we all go without her to attend to all her beauty problems. Worse still she gave him all her savings to buy a house for them to live. She knows he is serious as when she visits soon he said his parents will be meeting the plane. He said to be sure to wear a very modest dress, long sleeves, high neck and a scarf on her head. Of course I will respect them this time, she said, but when we start a business I would take on my own personality again. How crazy, I thought I would never let a man dominate me.'
[Oh, oh, I thought.]
'We have spent all afternoon trying to talk her out of this awful mistake, but she is determined and already put her house on the market.
'Oh, thank goodness, we are nearly here, if I rush I might just make it. He won't let me go again, oh dear, perhaps there will not be any more meetings when she has gone.'
[Oh, no, I thought, how will I know what happened, not that I am nosey, no it isn't going to work out, but the hell, are we all jealous? Just don't sell everything and you can have one hell of a fling but have something to hang onto it.
Oh, well, I must look out for her again to have episode two. If positions were reversed I could always keep on the bus for another few stops to complete the saga.]
By the way this journey took roughly fifteen minutes.