Page 34 of The Second Chance Bus Stop
‘I hadn’t noticed.’
I go to the cleaning aisle next. There’s a new antibacterial spray fragrance, which I can’t help picking up, even though I’ve already brought two for this trip.
I bring my basket up to the check-out. At the till I turn to Blade.
‘What’s your monthly disposable income?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I’ve read that expenses are most fairly split according to income. A percentage based on salary seems fairer than fifty-fifty. I myself belong to the high-average bracket.’
‘I figured—or the basket wouldn’t be full of American-imported cereals and organic oat milk.’
The cashier’s gaze jumps between us. Then to the line, albeit short, that’s started to form.
‘So? I’m quick at maths.’
‘How about I get this one and we figure it out later? I’ll let you take a look at the receipts in the car, okay? I feel like at this point it’s in the public interest.’ He nods to the people behind us.
Blade puts his juice on top of his lettuce, and my retinas physically hurt from the violation as I rush to tower my things up appropriately inside my basket, making a base of tins, a next layer of cardboard boxed items and finally soft goods on top followed by berries and crisps bags. By the time I finish he’s tapping his foot slightly, but he doesn’t shoot the people behind us apologetic looks, roll his eyes or say, ‘Christ on a bike’ or, ‘You’re holding up the bloody queue, Sophia.’ like my dad would.
When we exit the car park, an open bag of crisps between us, there’s a sound of a horn coming from behind.
‘What does he want?’ I ask.
‘Who? What do you mean?’
‘That driver. I think he beeped because we were blocking the way.’
I start to roll the window down to explain to the other driver that we were only parked there for a minute and I had to get something out of the bag to pay the parking with and I hope he kindly understands, but Blade drives off and just waves to him.
‘But I was going to explain! And what was your wave supposed to mean?’
‘I guess I meant it as an apology.’
‘But you didn’t do anything wrong. As my explanation would have pointed out.’
‘Then I guess the wave meant more “all good”?’
‘That makes no sense.’
I look out the window, following the other car with my gaze.
‘He didn’t wave back. Why do you think he didn’t wave back?’
‘Did youknowhim?’
‘Well, no, but if we wave then he should acknowledge that, right?’
‘It’s a stranger on the road, Sophia. We’ll never meet again.’
This is why roads are confusing. As soon as people are in a car I’m meant to interact with them differently.
‘The intention, Blade. I’m meant to look for a driver’s intention. But they’re inside a car and that makes it hard. Is the head turned or positioned to the right? To the left? Driving is not just a system of rules. I thought so when I did my test, but no. The road is asocial activity.’ I say.
‘Social?’
‘There are all these subtle interactions that you’re supposed to pick up on. It’s exhausting. This is why self-driving cars will never work.’
