| THE FINAL STOP by Sandra Johnson |
| At long last the bus was coming to its final stop. This vehicle which looked like any other city bus, long in length, was whiter that any vehicle had a right to be. The passengers looked like any number of different shapes and sizes of people that ever took a regular bus on their ways to work, the mall, and visiting. John sat near the back of the bus. His face wore the same expression that numerous faces on the bus wore. The expression was trepidation. Some people faces were joyous. For some, it was the end of a long journey, for others a shorter one. John glanced at his hands and tried to wipe away the trembling on the thighs of his aged jeans. That was the funny thing he thought as he glanced up at his fellow passengers.The only one dressed with some indication of where they were all going was their bus driver. He wore the standard uniform hat that most bus drivers wore but it was all white as was the rest of his clothing. His expression was beautiful. He loved his job and he loved without question the destination of the journey. As the bus pulled smoothly into its terminus and opened the front and back doors, People, some slowly with hesitant looks and others quickly with happiness radiating from their very pores began to exit the bus. John stood reluctantly and slowly began moving from the rear to the front of the bus. Upon reaching the front John looked questioningly at the bus driver as if to say "Are you quite sure this is where I'm supposed to be?" The driver grinned good naturedly at him and nodded off to a distance from the bus. John glanced out in the direction the bus driver had nodded. Standing quietly waiting for him was his Mother whom he hadn't seen in fifteen years. She was just as lovely as she had been before cancer had ravaged the matronly figure he called Mom. Not believing his eyes and the joy that was jumping through his very soul, John leaped of the bus and ran,with a spring to his step, to his Mother. John seemed to float as he closed the distance between them. As he reached her side, John's arms gently enveloped his Mom and he swung her off her feet. "Oh Mom I can't believe you came to meet me. You don't know how I've missed you.�"John's Mother pulled back enough to see the tears shining on her Son's face. "I am very glad that I was chosen to meet you and ring you to understanding. I have wished for so long that we could meet just to talk about all the things we should have said." John soothingly stopped the flow of words from his Mother�s mouth by laying a finger on her lips. "None of that matters anymore Mom. We have all the time of eternity to say all the things we could ever want." John again hugged his Mother and then turned to stare off at the bus as it started to turn from it�s dock. Happy at last, John waved farewell to the bus driver. His Mother took his hand in hers and kindly tugged her Son on to take his place in line for the interview with the white light. John was right, their conversations could wait, they had all of eternity after his welcome from their Lord God. The end. |
| The Final Stop Copyright 2002 Sandra Elizabeth Johnson |