The loud woman is obviously on strong medication, her face is swollen with side effects. At the gate she complains, "that other bus driver kicked me off the bus because I wanted to find a seat belt. How was I supposed to know there are no seat belts on buses?" Pulling her weight up the stairs she hitches her hand on her hip and jerks her head as she confesses to the young man in the front seat that she has motion sickness and would like to sit in the front as she expects to vomit. Politely the young man gets up and answers, "I'll leave you to yourself. I'll go find a seat somewhere else." All the way to Springfield she initiates conversation with others. Her percussive laugh erupts into rapid fire at the end of all her comments. Her gestures are wide and sweeping. The tide of their strength shakes her shirt off her shoulder and unveils a huge American eagle tattoo. Her bra strap looks like a noose around the birds neck. This volatile woman scares me.
At the transfer we get a new bus and a new driver. He is tall, and has an almost military haircut. His broad face and high cheek bones suggest strength and determination. His gait is steady, long and slow. When he gives boarding instructions his well spoken English is carried on a Russian accented baritone. I wonder to myself, "How will this former communist react to this wild woman." It seems to me they are type and antitype. She is the embodiment of all the excesses of American life; too much food, too much medication, too few inhibitions; while he could be a walking poster child for the KGB. He seems like a no nonsense, well disciplined party member. His uniform easily adds to the illusion.
At first the loud woman continues her compulsive talking but after a little while she is subdued. I watch her studying the driver. A few blocks out of the station she turns to a college student and says, "Excuse me, can you stop talking so loudly on the phone I am going to take a nap." It is an ironic request, but the girl condescends. Then the Yuri Gagarin look alike picks up the overhead microphone and instructs, "All passengers are requested to refrain from cell phone use unless it is an emergency." The Russian expatriot is now in league with the American extraviganza. A strange turn of events! The loud woman now rises to her glory. She is almost giddy. Her stories are heady with laughter although they expose one tragedy after another. The Russian listens and rarely comments, yet he seems genuinely interested. I wonder if this is part of his special forces training. Does Peter Pan bus lines have an in-service titled "How to
de-escalate loud, overly medicated women"?
As the hours pass the driver never changes, he is just as interested as in the beginning. The loud woman talks, tells horrible stories from her past and laughs inappropriately. Oddly enough I imagine the woman is starting to follow the drivers cadence - steady, long and slow. Her volatile eruptions lessen, then become sporatic and finally the loud woman goes to sleep. Peace and quiet reign.
The communist's regime was wise.
He connected with the woman's heart and showed consistent concern for her until her wild dervishes slowed and she began following his march. This was a gospel "snippet". One of those interesting life moments that clarify how God works in our lives. In God's bus we are the loud lady. Yet He stays by our side, never even hinting at the fact that we are an embarrassment. He listens interestedly and unperceptively in His audience we are changed; the riot gives way to peace.
