By Bus with Vicki - Part 14

Good morning FFFs!

Welcome to September! Wait! Did I just say September? As in the month I always associate with apples, school and the leaves starting to turn colors? Wow!

This has been a busy week. (I think I always say that.) Trying to catch up on things after being gone for a week is always a challenge, but I think I'm caught up. Well, maybe not on all the blog posts because everyone seemed to get the message that I was out of town and decided to post multiple times. :P But, oh well. I 'm trying to get a lot of those little projects done. You know, the ones that really won't take very long, but you never think of them when you have time to do them. Yeah, those.

I have been writing. TCR-6 is now over the 1/2 way mark and I'm finished with the rearranging, adding, changing and stuff. Now I can just write. But . . . before you get all excited, I'm writing "Finding Joy" right now. It took me a little bit to get back into the story as it has been over 2 weeks since I worked on it, but it's moving now. :)

My other big project . . . Is a blog party! Yes, I mentioned Blog and Party in the same sentence. Some of you have probably heard bits about it, but others might not have. It's going to take place the last week of September and it's going to be so much fun! Here is a personal invitation just for YOU!

So, are you coming? Doesn't it sound like fun? If you know of anyone who might like to come, just copy this invitation and send it to them. The more people we have, the more fun the party is going to be!

Now, here is the final part of Vicki's bus trip. I hope you are as ready for her to reach her destination as she is. :) She's had a lot of adventures, but after a while they lose their excitement. So, enjoy this last part and then come back next week for . . . Well, for something different. :)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 14

    At a later stop, a young man in army fatigues climbed on the bus and took a seat right in front of the Greens. Vicki was interested at once. She struck up a conversation almost right away. “My brother, David, is going to join the army when he’s old enough,” she said. “He’s only fifteen now, but he won’t always be that young.”

    The soldier coughed slightly. “No, he won’t.”

    “Are you going to a different camp?”

    “Nope. I’m going to get married.”

    “Oh!” Vicki’s delighted cry could be heard the entire length of the bus, causing many heads to turn in her direction. “That’s so lovely!” She quickly changed her seat to sit next to the soldier. “What is her name?”

    “Victoria.”

    “Why, that’s my name! My full name, not my nickname. Do you call her Vicki? That’s what I’m called unless I’m in trouble. I’ve never known anyone with my name who got married. Of course I know people who got married. My sister did. But nobody with the same name as me. I wish I could meet her.”

    “Where do you get off?”

    “San Jose.”

    “You should be able to at least see her then because I get off before you do.”

    At that bit of news, Vicki clasped her hands together and drew a long breath. Her eyes were starry and she said not a word.

    After waiting a moment and finding she didn’t speak, the soldier, asked, “So, where are you going, Vicki?”

    “What? Oh, to visit my sister. This is my first time to travel on a bus, but it will probably be my last time too.” Then she launched forth into the story of her bus trip so far, ending with, “And I’m so glad you got on because I didn’t have anyone to talk to except the Greens, and they are probably tired of me talking. People get tired of me sometimes.” She shrugged as though that was all a part of life. “But that’s okay because on a bus trip like this, there are always new people to meet. Do you like to meet new people? And would you sign my autograph book?”

    When the bus pulled into the next station for supper, Vicki’s new friend, Andrew, was invited to join her and the Greens at their table.

    Not feeling in the least bit sleepy when they got back on the bus, Vicki decided she would just stay awake until Andrew’s stop came. Seated beside him, she told stories and listened to him tell stories. The next thing she knew, someone was gently shaking her arm.

    “Vicki, this is where I get off. If you want to see my girl, you’ll have to wake up.”

    Bleary eyed, Vicki yawned and sat up. “Huh?” Seeing Andrew pull his pack down from the overhead compartment, she suddenly remembered. “Victoria is here?”

    Andrew grinned. “She should be. She said she’d meet my bus.”

    Quickly she scrambled to her feet and followed the soldier. She only had a few minutes, but she not only got to meet the other Victoria, but was delighted when she agreed to sign her name next to Andrew’s in her autograph book.

    Back on the bus again, Vicki fell asleep and dreamed of soldiers and babies with red balls carrying detour signs which kept her from reaching her sister.

    “Vicki. Wake up, Vicki. We’re in San Jose.”

    It took some time for the words to fully register in Vicki’s slumber filled mind. Yawning, she shifted in her seat and prepared to go back to sleep. But someone pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Vicki, I’m sure your sister will let you sleep once she gets you home, but you can’t sleep here.”

    Forcing her eyes open, Vicki stared up into Mr. Green’s amused eyes. “Did the bus break down?”

    Mr. Green chuckled. “No, but you’ve finally reached San Jose. Don’t you want to get off?”

    San Jose? She was really there? Suddenly all sleep vanished and Vicki was wide awake. “Oh, I didn’t know we had arrived. Where’s my purse, and my sweater and sweatshirt?”

    “They are right here,” Mrs. Green said, holding out the desired items.”

    “Oh, thank you.”

    The bus driver made his way up the aisle. “Come, little lady,” he said. “I’m going to make sure you reach your sister’s care. I don’t want to take you along farther than you wanted to go.”

    The lights of the station were bright, and Vicki blinked. She heard her name called and looked around. “Amber!” Dropping her sweater and sweatshirt, she rushed across the nearly empty room into her sister’s fierce embrace. “I’m here! I’m really here! Did you get my other luggage?” She tipped her head up to see her sister’s face. “It came on ahead of me because it didn’t get on the wrong bus. But it was so exciting!” Her sister’s arms didn’t loosen their hold of her, but Vicki didn’t care. It was good to be with family again.

    A deep voice beside them said, “We’ll pick up your luggage. But it looks like you lost a few things.”

    Vicki looked around. Her laugh bubbled out as she saw her brother-in-law, Richard. “I just couldn’t hang on to everything.” As Amber let go, Vicki hugged Richard before turning around. “I just have to get my things that I dropped.” She darted off before anyone could say a word. When she came back, the bus driver and Mr. and Mrs. Green were talking to her sister and her husband. To Vicki, who was eager to be away from the bus station so she could tell Amber and Richard all the adventures she had experienced on her first bus trip, it felt like hours before the grownups stopped talking, her luggage was retrieved and the three of them were on their way across the dark parking lot to their waiting car.

    Skipping beside her sister, one hand clasped tightly in hers, Vicki said, “It’s a good thing this bus trip was so exciting because I know Mom and Dad will never let me ride on one again.”

Do you think Vicki go to ride a bus again?

Are you going to be back for next week's story?

Does the Blog Party sound fun?