The Bus Driver Part 4

Eventually he turned to look at her. His glance was warm and his voice had a calm seriousness.
"Go Luki. Do what you have to do. There comes a time when your heart tells you what to do and then you must do it."
"You understand that?"
He nodded slowly and spoke gently.
"Yes Luki, I do."
She seemed to immediately brighten up and impulsively held her fist towards him. With a laugh he touched his fist on hers.
At the bus stop she climbed out. Then with a toss of her head she walked away without looking back.

On a sunny Monday morning, several weeks later, before the 9:15 bus had left the suburbs, something alarmed Alexis and he had to slam the brakes fiercely.
A woman carrying several placards had suddenly stepped in front of the bus. She did not seem to care about the risk she took. In fact, she had a kind of ethereal air.
She was dressed rather flamboyantly in red and gold and wore a flat top black Spanish hat.
Her face and arms had been tanned to a golden brown.
Alexis stared at the first placard through the windscreen and a smile crept over his face.
It read "I went to stay in a topical village and I swam with dolphins."
Then he read other placards that she presented one by one.
"I did scuba diving and swam under a manta ray."
"I took Spanish dancing classes for a month."
When he saw the last one, he burst out laughing and rose to his feet.
It read "Get out of the bus and bring your guitar, Alexis."
He turn around and spoke to the passengers.
"I'm sorry folks. Luki's back. I think that she's had too much sun. She wants us to have some fun."

As he climbed out of the bus he walked towards her with the obvious intention of giving a welcoming embrace. She, however stepped back and looked at him challengingly.
"What's all this Luki? Have you gone all Spanish?"
She looked at him with fire smouldering in her eyes.
"Stop talking. Play the Lady Alba song. The last part. Play it now."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Play it Alexis."
"OK Luki. Give me a moment."

When he began to play, she began to dance. She had castenets in each hand. Sometimes her one hand was behind her back and the other held high. She snapped her head sharply to one side or the other but when she looked down, she played with the most emotion.
The bus crowd had immediately joined in the mood of the moment and had begun to sing the by now well known chorus.

"Lady of mystery
How dark is your history?
Dressed in black
From head to toe

But ah in your eyes
In your dark eyes
There is a light
We see fireflies."

Then he continued with the main song.
.
"But on that wonderful first Monday
When the harvest should begin
Lady Alba appears on the main street
Dressed in red and gold
On the arms of old Fernandes

She pushes back her Spanish hat
And holds castanets in each hand
As she sways from side to side
The clackety clack behind her
And then as she turns around
She plays them held high
She strides, she turns and stamps her feet
As always in the past
Lady Alba owns the town."

This was the moment when Luki took over. She stamped her feet and raised her hand up high and began to sing in a rather beautiful voice.

"Alexis, you my beloved
You drove my bus
You taught me about a second box
But you taught me how to love
Oh how you taught me
You made me a woman
And so I dance for you
For you my beloved.'

The passengrs seemed to knew their roles. They formed a giant circle.
And there in the middle Luki danced in the dust. Oh how she danced
With her feet, her hands. And her hair flowing wild.
And her eyes...her burning dark eyes.

And when the dance was over
She stood and looked at Alexis who for a moment was too stunned to move.
And old lady walked up to him and tapped on his chest with her heavy cane and then pointed to a place down the road.
"Do you see that church?"
"Yes Mrs. Solomon. I see that church. What about it?"
"Well that's where you'll get married."
He couldn't help laughing. Perhaps the tension in the air had become too much.
I understand Mrs. Solomon...but why that church?"
"Alexis, my son. Don't you see? It's on the bus route. We'll all come. We'll be dressed up. We'll bring flowers. You park the bus, you get married and then we'll all climb back
into the bus and go on our merry way singing songs. Will that be a wedding or not?"
"Yes, Mrs Solomon, that would be a wedding. Yes indeed."

Then Alexis turned away from the old lady and walked up to Luki. Without a word he reached out and embraced her. He held her for what seemed to be an age.

Eventually all the passengers crowded around them, clapped hands, swayed from side to side and sang with a new found excitement..