Page 46 of The Trip of a Lifetime

The seats in the bus station were not all that comfortable but Martha managed to sleep for a short while with her head resting on Erin’s shoulder. Neither of them were looking forward to the night bus but there really wasn’t an alternative. Erin thought it was likely they’d all be on the bus together but when ten o’clock rolled around, it was just herself and Martha, and Harrison and Sam.

‘The others went with a different bus company. I saw them getting into a minibus but I checked the times and it’s no different,’ Sam told her. ‘We’ll basically be neck and neck.’

‘Do you need anything?’ Harrison asked Martha when he realised she wasn’t feeling well, but she shook her head.

‘Just to sleep until Winnipeg.’

‘Harrison is the king of sleeping on public transport,’ said Sam. ‘I really don’t know how he manages it.’

‘I remember,’ Martha said before she could stop herself.

They settled in their seats and Martha took another couple of tablets.

‘Hopefully these will knock me out.’

And then they were off for their nine-hour journey with Martha curled up as best she could. She rolled up her jumper and used it as a pillow but Erin was amazed she drifted off because the bus was a rickety old thing.

‘It’s going to be a long night,’ she said to Sam who was sitting in the seat behind her.

The driver told them he would be stopping in Grand Rapids to switch drivers and they could use the restroom facilities. It was about a halfway stop point. Erin sank down in her seat and made a nest for herself with a coat and a cardigan. She tried to ignore the bumping and rattling of the bus and it must have worked because she woke briefly when Martha took more tablets and not again until they were in Grand Rapids.

Half the passengers left in search of the loo, but Martha muttered she had no intention of moving and Harrison was still fast asleep and gently snoring.

‘Should you wake him?’ Erin asked Sam as they walked towards the petrol station toilets.

‘No, he’ll be fine. He’s like a camel.’

Erin laughed. She really couldn’t help herself. Sam was slowly proving he wasn’t really a bad person. She might have to accept that.

‘That’s impressive for an old man,’ she said.

They split up at the door and Erin headed into the ladies’ to join the back of the substantial queue. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and didn’t like what she saw. She wished she’d thought to bring her bag in and use a bit of make-up or at the very least, brush her hair. She opted for running her fingers through the waves while she waited for her turn.

‘The lock is a bit dodgy on that one,’ said a woman who held the door open on the cubicle for Erin. ‘You might want to leave it unlocked.’

Like hell, I will, Erin thought as she thanked her. She’d seen enough TV dramas where bad things happened to people in toilets. Especially ones in the middle of nowhere like they seemed to be in now. It was a bit stiff, but she forced the bolt over and then used the loo.

She was a little worried about her grandmother. If she wasn’t well, they would struggle on this leg of the race. Erin was used to Martha being able to rally and that was clearly going to be tricky for her. Hopefully the tablets and some sleep would work and they could get back on track. They also needed to find a way to overtake the men. It was infuriating being on the same bus, neck and neck, like they had been on the train to Churchill. If it was like that all the way to St John’s it would come down to a sprint finish. And they had little chance against Harrison and Sam. They might be able to beat Priya and Tara but probably not Femi and Liz either. The truth was that a sprint finish was probably exactly what the production company would want. More exciting to watch that than someone with a clear lead.

Erin flushed the loo and went to pull the bolt back but it wouldn’t move. She’d pushed it over so hard it was stuck. She tugged and tugged but it just wouldn’t budge. The first flutterings of fear hit her as she pulled it so hard she thought she’d broken her finger.

‘Hello?’ she called out, but it seemed everyone else had gone.

She crouched down to see if she could fit underneath the door but the gap was just not quite wide enough. Then she looked up but it was the same at the top.

‘Hello!’

This time she shouted but the sound just echoed around the empty room. They wouldn’t leave without her, she knew that. Martha wouldn’t let that happen. But Martha was probably back asleep again. Sam? He wouldn’t let the bus go without her. They were being cordial now.

‘HELLO!’

‘Erin?’

It was Sam, thank goodness.

‘I’m stuck in the loo,’ she said and inwardly cringed at the words. ‘The bolt is wedged.’

‘Hang on,’ he said. ‘I’ll find someone who can help.’