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Yesterday life had looked so wonderful, today she knew life sucked.
Didn't anyone ever travel out here? Not that there was that much to look at, but someone must surely live around here. She hadn't seen two cars since she left Sweetwater.
"It can be the best day of your life, or the worst, according to how you make it," she repeated. How many times had she shoved that quote down everyone's throat? Good advice, but hard to take, she admitted. That was back when she thought she was going to be married and happy the rest of her life.
Then suddenly, she saw something move. It was a good distance away so she couldn't be sure. She didn't dare hope. But as it got closer, she was sure she was seeing things. After all busses didn't appear out of the blue, in the middle of nowhere, did they? She couldn't be that lucky. Not the way her life was going.
She leaned against the car and waited, expecting it to disappear into thin air. It didn't, and Savannah whispered a prayer of thanks as the big silver mirage came closer.
"Oh my gosh...it can't be...but—but it is!"
She kept watching it, making sure it wasn't a mirage. She'd heard how things seemed to appear out here in the vast desert. How they could be there one minute and be gone the next, however, the big silver bus wasn't disappearing to her relief.
As it got closer she jumped up and down and flagged the driver down. It didn't seem to be slowing down and panic set in. Her stomach knotted like a hard rock in a balloon. Surely the driver wouldn't leave her stranded.
She swallowed hard and stood right in the middle of the road. Brave or just stupid, she was determined to stop the bus. The bus swerved and pulled to a reluctant stop.
As the doors came open, the large Hispanic driver muttered a few words under his breath. Savannah was sure she didn't want to hear those words.
She mounted the steps of the bus with all the dignity of a royal queen, mounting her throne.
"I'm stranded." She announced, as though that explained everything, as though those two words would actually mean something to this angry stranger.
No reaction.
"Did you hear what I said? I'm stranded. I need transportation."
His head turned and his hand tightened on the door.
"Um...my car won't start, can I have a lift into the next town, please?"
"Si, forty dollar," he said, sneering.
"Forty dollars?" she repeated as though she couldn't believe her ears.
"Si."
"That's highway robbery!" She exclaimed. "It can't be over twenty miles to the next town."
"Si, forty dollar." This time his hand was moving on the door handle. She might have stopped the bus, but she wouldn't detain it long.
"Well ...wait a minute—" Nothing was going her way and she might as well expect trouble from now on, fewer surprises that way.
"Wait…please?"
Firming her lips, she stepped back out to get her purse from the car and dug through it for several minutes till she had the amount he requested. Thinking about her equipment in the trunk she frowned at hauling her camera with her, but leaving it behind was not an option since she'd paid for it just a few days ago. Another silly hobby, her parents had grumbled. And to think she had actually planned on taking shots of her own wedding!
She needed to forget about the wedding...somehow. Right now she had to forget about the wedding, her parents, Chad, and even what she thought was going to be her future.
Seeing the driver was getting impatient with her, she tried to think of what she might need to take with her. She'd left her suitcase full of clothes for the honeymoon on her bed at home, fully intending to grab it as her and Chad made their way to the airport for a luxurious honeymoon in the Bahamas. The only thing that was hers in this car was her camera and tripod. She grabbed it, then put it down and checked the small beaded purse in the back seat of the car. Glancing at the driver, she hurriedly counted the money that her dear Uncle Seth had tucked into her hand yesterday morning, two hundred and fifty dollars!
"In case it doesn't work out...." her Uncle had said and winked. Had he somehow known she was going to need it? She looked for other valuables; unfortunately she had forgotten to put her driver's license, her social security card, or anything of real value in the purse. But a woman getting married didn't need all of that...she reasoned.
Good old Uncle Seth, he knew more than most.
Seeing an old t-shirt of her father's in the trunk she crammed it in her small bag, it stuck out and wouldn't close, but that wasn't important, she needed something to wear to bed tonight. Hopefully she'd be sleeping in her aunt's bed tonight.
She hiked the tripod under her arm, then scrambling with part of the equipment to the bus, she remounted the steps.
