The Driver
A story about overcoming loneliness
Apologies for missing two weeks of stories — had a hectic couple of weeks. But I’m back in the swing of things with a new story this week.
As for last week’s story, The Nose, it was written by the Bing chatbot. The prompt was, “Write a short story in the style of Cormac McCarthy about a man who has a superhuman sense of smell. It’s a blessing and a curse, but he stumbles upon an opportunity to use his ability to stop a crime (in this instance, a nonviolent one). He thenceforth determines to be a superhero called The Nose.” (I had to add in the note about the crime being nonviolent because my first attempt to have Bing write the story was unsuccessful due to the chatbot’s content restrictions).
The poll saw 67 percent of respondents say the story was written by AI, and 33 percent say it was written by me. So good job, respondents! Now, on to this week’s story.
The bus driver sat in his seat, his eyes scanning the passengers as they boarded and disembarked. He was a lonely man, and he found comfort in watching the people around him. He saw their faces, their expressions, and their stories. He saw the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the happy and the sad. He saw New York City in all its glory and all its ugliness.
He had been driving the bus for many years, and he had seen a lot of things. He had seen people come and go, he had seen love and hate, he had seen joy and sorrow. He had seen the best of humanity and the worst of humanity. But through it all, he had never lost his sense of wonder. He still found New York City to be a fascinating place, and he still found the people to be interesting.
As he drove, he thought about the passengers on his bus. He thought about the young woman who was on her way to work, the old man who was going to the doctor, the couple who were holding hands, and the child who was crying. He thought about their lives, their hopes, and their dreams. He thought about the things that made them happy and the things that made them sad. He thought about the things that they were grateful for and the things that they were afraid of.
He knew that he would never know all of their stories, but he was content to watch them from a distance. He was content to be a part of their lives, even if it was only for a short time. He was content to be a witness to their humanity.
The bus driver drove on, and the passengers came and went. He watched them with a kind eye, and he felt a sense of connection with them. He knew that they were all just trying to make their way in the world, and he was glad that he could be a part of their journey.
One day, a young woman boarded the bus. She was carrying a small suitcase, and she looked tired and sad. The bus driver watched her as she took a seat. He could tell that she was troubled, and he wanted to help.
When the bus stopped at the next stop, the bus driver got up and walked over to the young woman. “Are you okay?” he asked.
The young woman looked up at him and smiled. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just tired.”
“Where are you headed?” the bus driver asked.
“I’m going to see my sister,” the young woman said. “She lives in Brooklyn.”
“That’s a long way,” the bus driver said. “Would you like some company?”
The young woman smiled again. “That would be nice,” she said.
The bus driver led the young woman to the front of the bus and invited her to sit in the seat next to him. “If you sit here, we can chat while I drive,” he said.
The young woman nodded and sat down. The bus driver started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “So,” he said, “what’s your name?”
“My name is Sarah,” the young woman said.
“I’m John,” the bus driver said. “It’s nice to meet you, Sarah.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, John,” Sarah said.
They talked for the rest of the ride. Sarah told John about her life, and he told her about his. They talked about their hopes and dreams, their fears and regrets. They talked about everything and nothing.
By the time the bus reached Brooklyn, Sarah felt like she had known John for years. She was no longer tired or sad. She was happy and hopeful.
“Thank you for talking to me,” Sarah said to John. “I needed that.”
“You’re welcome,” John said. “I’m glad I could help.”
Sarah got off the bus, and John watched her go. He felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that he had made a difference in her life. He knew that he would never forget her.
The bus driver drove on, and the passengers came and went. He watched them with a kind eye, and he felt a sense of connection with them. He knew that they were all just trying to make their way in the world, and he was glad that he could be a part of their journey.