The Last Day of School

The yellow old run down school bus, began to turn the corner to the red brick modern day school building. It had to be 20 feet tall and twice that in width. The school’s doors had no handles except for the front door that only had one. I glanced at the ripped seat in front of me that was covered up by a piece of gray duct tape, that was old and falling off. The dark brown wide bus seat was worn and peeling. The black pen marks left from the ones before me. Stained with vandalism that is common from elementary school kids.

                As the bus pulled up in front of Austin O. Sexton, I began to cringe at the smell that the exhaust gave off. Sitting in the back of the bus had its disadvantages. The bus came to a jerky halt. I stood and bent my neck from the low ceiling of the bus. Being 5’9 on a bus with a ceiling that was 5 feet tall was pretty difficult. But I still could not help and smile at the smiling faces looking at me. They happily waved goodbye to me and another year.

                Walking up the aisle and reaching the top of the stairs to my exit, my eyes met those of the bus driver’s. I never really paid much attention to him in my last year of grammar school but it seemed appropriate to say goodbye to him as well. He was a stout man, who looked to be 5’8. He had a bald head and cleanly shaven face. His dark skin contradicted with his blue eyes. His eyes a deep sea blue that you only saw in the ocean. Had had a medium build and demanding features that no one would expect from and elementary school bus driver. He smiled a perfect set of white teeth with a small gap in between his front two teeth. His dimples drilled deep into his muscled cheeks. He wished me good luck on next year and a safe summer. I smiled back with a similar gap in my teeth as his and thanked him.

                I walked down the stairs rubbing my neck from bending it the whole time. I stepped off the bus and onto the crowded sidewalk busy with excited kids, happy with the ending of the school year. I leaned on a fully grown tree that was ready for summer just as much as I was. I watched the children for a while. I watched them jumping over the black newly painted 4 foot tall gate that separated the school property from the sidewalk. One group of kids I became fascinated by had five or six in their circle. They all held hands and bowed their heads out of respect. They all were unified by their khaki pants and blue uniform shirts. But an unseen unification seemed to be present as well.

                Only one girl moved her lips. She had burnt red hair and olive color skin with grown freckles that graced her cheeks. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail as though she just pulled it up to get it out of her face to bow her head.  She had a small round nose and small pink lips that mumbled a last word that was more than familiar to a church goer like me. Amen. Meaning it is so. They all looked up and smiled. I had not even noticed that a smile had crept up on my face. The four girls and two guys dropped hands and hugged before departing from each other.

                The red haired girl remained present and turned towards me. She looked at me with piercing green-hazel eyes but with a timid glaze. I smile and nodded out of respect and courage. She smiled back. The smile reaching her eyes making them sparkle even more. She turned and skipped to a lady with matching red hair and eyes. The girl ran to her arms. The woman released, but not without the little red haired girl grabbing her hand to lead them to a red four door car. The clean candy red paint job and more than likely black leather interior kept everyone staring until they skidded down the street, out of sight.

 I heard my name called, which broke my gaze from the direction where the car left. I turned to find my sister standing with her arms folded. She was almost as tall as I was.  She was leaner than I, but with proportional curves in her hips, thighs, and bust that showed well in her graphic tee and blue jean shorts. Her nose was narrow but big enough to know her ancestry was Native American. Her eyes though behind glasses, were big and dark brown just like mine. We shared only similar features in the face and hair. Our lips that was big and full like that of our mother and father.

                She impatiently tapped her foot, giving me a look that was both annoyed and frantic. I removed my body from the comfortable leaning position on the tree. We began to walk side by side down the sidewalk that was almost barren.  I looked up toward the sun marveling at its beauty and power. I stared at it and thought of how it could change someone’s behavior and mood just by doing what it did best. Giving energy to the world.