Author Information
Cloudy Day
You take the bus an hour late because you struggle to leave your bed on cloudy days; the touch of satin sheets against your skin feels irresistible. The bus is packed like a can of sardines and there is no seat left for you. You work your way to the back of the bus, unintentionally bumping everyone on your way. You hardly reached a metal bar to prevent losing your balance. The girl in front of you laughs at a joke she heard on the phone. There are a few grandchildren, cooking recipes related chit-chats between older ladies that carry hand bags and baskets with food and clothes. An old man gazes through the window and suddenly turns his head as a night club's panoramic passes by you and makes you laugh. There is a mother nurturing a child, and a young brother in school uniform. The bus stops at one of the stations and the driver makes signs to the station worker that the bus is full. The station worker, a young cigar-smoking fella points at an old lady right next to him and the bus driver waves his hand for the lady to come while murmuring words only for him to hear. There is always room for another passenger in Mexico's bus services. This old woman makes her way to the back of the bus and firmly grasps the rail as if her life would depend on it. You look at her wrinkled face, her tired eyes, her twisted fingers, old blouse, old long skirt, gray hair that resembles today's cloudy sky. She reminds you of your grandma, and you imagine the frail look of your now deceased relative on a hot, crowded bus like this. At least grandma had a good life -- you say to yourself. The girl in front of you laughs again as she starts texting. As you put on your 7 dollar Walmart headphones you start to let the music take you far away from the bus. You close your eyes. There is a strong metal sound and then everything goes blank. You open your eyes and your head hurts, there is a blood and glass shard on the asphalt and a tire rolls away down the street. The bus lays on its side. The sky is still covered with clouds, and you ain't going to work today.
