Justin opened the door to Jerry’s Honk and Drive and looked about the place. There were a few old hayseeds sitting at the counter, grumbling about the price of corn and Maggie the Waitress was pouring them some coffee. Justin realized that he didn’t know Maggie’s last name, he’d always known her as Maggie the Waitress. She smiled at him and he nodded a greeting.
The old woman waved to Justin from one of the red vinyl booths at the back of the diner. She had already made herself comfortable. Her coat was off and hanging on one of the coat hooks near the jukebox. Her walker was placed next to the booth. Justin could see she was wearing a heavy knit sweater. It was quite colorful; almost too colorful for Justin’s comfort level. It was vibrant and loud and it hurt Justin’s eyes a little. It also seemed a bit too warm for the day. It was chilly outside but it certainly wasn’t freezing.
He sat in the booth across from the old woman. She smiled at him as he tried to make himself comfortable. He wiped at his eyes quickly to make sure he wasn’t still tearing up.
“So what is this all about”, asked Justin.
“Do you want some coffee or anything dear? Maybe a hot chocolate?” said the old woman.
“No. I’m fine. Thank you. Where is Sally and what do you know about it?”
The woman took a tissue out from her sleeve and wiped at her nose. Justin noticed she was wearing lipstick and it must have been very old. It was slightly clumped on her bottom lip or maybe it was a wart, Justin couldn’t tell. His heart was beating so loudly in his chest with nervous syncopation.
“My name is Beatrice La Deveroux and I’m from New Orleans. I have been using that Greyhound bus for the last 35 years to get up to my sister’s place near Buckport. I’ve never gotten off that bus for any reason in all that time. I take it straight through. Today I broke that 35 year streak for you and Sally”.
Justin nodded. He couldn’t think of anything to say in response. Beatrice continued her story.
“Sally had the seat next to me on the bus. What struck me about her was how pretty she was. I’m not one to judge solely on a person’s looks. I take people as they come, but it’s been my experience that pretty people fly, ugly people ride the Greyhound.”
Beatrice chuckled to herself at what she seemed to think was something very witty. Justin was starting to lose his famous patience and calm.
“Please, where is Sally”, he asked.
“I’m getting there. Don’t worry my dear”, she smiled at him again.
Maggie the Waitress walked up to the table. She had given up wearing the waitress uniform years ago and was in an extra large Metallica tee-shirt and what looked like maternity jeans. She wasn’t pregnant.
“What can I get for you all”, she asked.
“Nothing, thanks”, said Justin.
“Oh my, I haven’t even looked at the menu yet. But you know what; I’ve been craving some apple pie. Do you have any apple pie”, asked Beatrice.
“We sure do. It’s not homemade but it’s pretty damn decent if you ask me”, said Maggie.
“If you can heat it up a little bit I’d love to try it”, smiled Beatrice.
Maggie nodded and stepped away from the table. Justin looked at this Beatrice with pleading eyes and she picked her story back up.
“Sally, you see, was just about the prettiest girl I’ve seen ever ride that bus and I couldn’t help but want to talk to her. I introduced myself to her and she politely shook my hand. It was a weak, half-hearted handshake as if all the strength she ever had was just gone. I sat next to her and I tried to engage her in conversation. I asked her why such a pretty young thing would be riding the bus so early on such a cold gray day. She told me she was riding to meet you.”
“She was on the bus”, said Justin, “Why didn’t she get off?”
“Patience dear, I’m getting there”, she said.
“She told me that she had been in rehab for a while; something to do with the drugs. I didn’t want to press her for more information on that. It didn’t seem like my place to do so. She said she’d made such a fool of herself and wasn’t sure anyone would ever accept her. She did tell me how she had you though; that you were sweet and kind and never judged her too harshly. I could tell in her voice that she really loved you. It was a sweet look in her eyes. She had kind of a dreamy quality when she spoke about you”.
“Where is she”, demanded Justin, his patience now at an end, “I want you to tell me where she is right now”.
Maggie came to the table and put the warm apple pie in front of Beatrice. She lowered her nose to the plate and inhaled the swirling aroma of apples. Justin could have sworn she was drooling a little out of the corner of her mouth. It was something old people seemed to do.
“Sally told me that she couldn’t face you. She couldn’t dare look you in the face ever again. Not after what she had done. She said she’d take it all back if she could but she knew that she couldn’t. She never meant to hurt you Justin but now, she has to”.
“She has to hurt me? I don’t understand”, said Justin.
“I told her I’d get off here in Anderton and tell you that she wasn’t going to meet you. She was going to ride that bus for as far as she could and she’d never look back. She took my hand as she said that and made me swear to do it. I am a woman of my word and so here I am telling you that she’s never going to see you again”.
Justin’s mind couldn’t make his mouth work. He couldn’t think of anything to say to this crazy old woman. Beatrice picked up her fork and took a bite of the apple pie.
“Definitely not homemade, but that waitress was right. It is pretty damn decent”, she said.
Justin stood up from the booth and looked at Beatrice.
“I appreciate what you’ve tried to do and I think you’re an amazing person to do it. But I love Sally and there’s no way on this Earth I’m going to let her go. She’s the reason I get up in the morning and the reason I want to dream at night. I’ll never stop loving her. I’m going to go now. I’m going to get her”.
Beatrice scooped up more of the apple pie and paused.
“I hoped you’d say that”, she said, “Good luck my dear”.
Justin ran from the diner and back to his Chevy. He jumped inside, gunned the engine and roared down the road after the bus.
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