Bob by Bernard J. (story read aloud .txt) 📕

"Afternoon, are you alright?" Bob asked him politely looking upon her with not much interest as usual. He did not bother anymore to force reality to work in his favor. When the time came, he would encounter the one.

"No. I am not fine. I am is it and I have nothing to get back to my home." These words grabbed Bob attention in a second of hearing her reply and his nature to help kicked in on the spot.

She had her head wrapped by a black tissue. Her big black eyes kept Bob's focused and her gentle nature invited Bob to pick interest in her situation more and more.

"What do you mean? You do not know where you are going?" Bob asked again while watching her closely. Black tissue wrapping around her hair and head from her forehead crossing behind her gears to the bottom of her head close to the neck, big black eyes, cute little nose, a sensual lip. She wore a while shirt with sewing pink flower, a black jean with a flat sandal poking between her toes. She had an additional black jacket and a bag.

"I need to get back. I am going to St Louis and I do not know what bus to take?" She responded with doubt in her voice.

"It will be better to ask the personals behind the glasses. They might help you better." Bob did not know much else to do when someone was in such situation. Helping would be the best option. His family did not teach him anything else. Besides, a girl in distress, what not to help.

"Well toalk you, I asked already and one of the ladies sent me in this gate for this bus. I hope the driver let me in." She was still worried. Her voice reached lower each time and she seemed to cry but nothing could come out yet.

"What happened? Can you tell me?"

"Well, I was visiting New York today with some friends. The guy who was driving us, my boyfriend left me here and drove away with my other stuffs. I called him to buy a ticket so I can return to St Louis. He did not bother to listen to me. He left me on my own." She told him her story and Bob felt embarrassed that men like him were causing this kind of humiliation to women especially her. She was in her own for the first time and her first time also away from her home.

"I am sorry. I wish I could help. I am just passing through unfortunately. I hope you get back home soon." Every time this situation happened to Bob, he got frustrated. He got convinced day-by-day money was important. Because he could help her to take a bus to go back home if he could buy her a ticket. Unfortunately, he could not take care of himself without asking his own father. Sure Bob could help her feel better and less worried, but it would not take her home. The problem would remain until she can find a solution that can send her home.

She decided to take the bus and got in front of Bob before he presented his ticket again to the driver. He followed her. At some point she stopped because she wanted to know in which seat Bob sat during the trip.

"I am here. Maybe you should sit here." He pointed the seat in the opposite side to her and she agreed. Bob requested the seat close to another young woman who sat alone during the trip. She did not refuse to let her sit. She sat across him and Bob smiled to her to make comfortable. The conversation was over and Bob did not want to bother her anymore. She sat, covered her head with her jacket hood and close her arms around her chest to prevent her body to catch too cold from the air conditioner.

Bob was hungry so he launched an attack on his sandwich, barbecue chip, and his sweet tea. He was focused on himself again and from time to time he looked at her in a sense he could have done more, but when you was poor you can only look and sighed. Bob did exactly that for the thousandth times in his life. Except the girl seemed to intent to trust Bob, she turned toward him and uncovered her head timidly.

"Can I borrow your phone to make a call or send a message?" She smiled to him and he responded with enthusiasm like every other time he met a new girl even though they could not see the good guy he was inside.

"Of course. I tried to ask you the same question and you did not answer. I thought you had way to communicate." Bob tend his hand with his phone to her and she borrowed it with her brilliant smile ever. For an instant, Bob believed she wanted to do more than just sit and look at the windows.

"Thanks. I hope he answers me right away." She sent the message and returned the phone to his owner. Bob bend a little toward her and she did the same watching him eating.

"Do you want some?" He offered to her and she chose to pick some chips from the packet. Bob smiled again and she chuckled keeping her head In the low. "So what is your name? I am Joseph and I am going to Harrisburg."

"I am Jessica and I am from Illinois. For now, I am loving at St Louis. I just moved over there. Where you from?" She took interest in Bob immediately and her misfortune linked them each passing minutes.

"I am from Haiti and I live at Queens, New York. This is the first time I leave my home to go so far from it. And you?" Bob always remained sincere with women either they were telling the truth or a lie. His theory based on the principle his parents planted in him when it was question of women. Her mother always told him to respect them and to treat them right. Bob came later with that women was his queen and he was the king and a long treated well his queen.

"So do I. This is the first time away from home. I always stay inside. I am very reserved." She admitted to Bob.

"So how did you meet this idiot who left you on the side of the road?" Bob got a little angry and nervous also seeing how Jessica had a great heart and she was a beautiful black woman.

"Well, I know him at school. He was a friend at first but later he left the town. I went to school and to college until I encountered him again. So he declared his love for me. We got engaged later but He broke it to leave me for another girl." She was not shy to express her disappointment but at the same time she found strength to show Bob the ring he proposed with.

"It is beautiful. Shame he did not value you enough to go through with the wedding. Were you in love with him?"

"To tell you the truth, I liked him but for some times he was not quite himself. He was like one moment we were in love and soon after he was a different person." Jessica seemed clueless to the situation She was facing with this boyfriend of hers.

"Did you see any sign this situation you are right now might happen?" When he was the people reaction, Bob would think beyond the capability of a normal behavior. He always thought he would become a psychologist. He was still dreaming of it but now it was no more an option than going back in time.

"I can't lie to you. I saw some signs but I did not take them in consideration. Then this happened. I wish I think of it sooner." Jessica let her body down in the chair like she did not care anymore. "I wish I meet a good guy like you."

"I do not know about good but I respect the woman I am friend with or in relation." Bob was a modest guy who did not like to present himself a savior but instead let people judged him for his actions. Bob was surprised to see where he actually met a woman. In a bus, in his trip to grab an employment in another state, he could not believe the way life worked. Bob and Jessica interest grew up each time they got to know each other better. The only problem Bob thought was the distance and the state Jessica was from. There was no way to see her again except for a visit in Illinois. Sure there were Facebook and Twitter but her phone did not have anymore batteries to support her needs. She was alone with Bob in the world.

"How is Illinois? Can you tell me?"

"Illinois, it is a. little town with plantation and cheap. I was a professor in my town." She was happy to talk about his town instead of this jerk who left her in the road.

"Can you see the sun? I am a big fan of nature." Bob was going further in the personal level with this confession and she was in joy to see his interest in her.

"Yeah, you can see the sun."

"I would be happy on this town. I love nature. In my country in Haiti, in front of my house, I used to wake up early to admire the beauty of the sunrise. The yellow and orange