1996 Short Story Contest: Second Place

Throw Up

illustration: Jason Stout

ometimes I can tell when something bad is going to happen. I once said that my sister was going to get hurt and that night at dinner she told everyone she had a raisin up her nose. No one believed her but she kept saying it so my dad got a tweezers. She cried because the tweezers poked her but my dad said sit still and he really did find a raisin in there. He pulled it out and it had blood on it.

Our bus driver is very fat. He wears a fur hat all the time like the kind they wear in Russia. His face is always red and sweaty. No one has ever seen him stand up and a lot of the kids say he lives in the bus. They say there is a hole in his seat that goes all the way down to the road so he can go to the bathroom without getting up. This day his face was even extra red and sweaty and you could tell he was sick. I sat in my same seat in the middle of the bus on the right side. On the back of the seat in front of me there was naked drawings of different teachers from our school. No one ever sat next to me except sometimes for a little while to touch my hair and say they were looking to see if there were any birds living in the curls because it was like a nest they said. It was a hot day but we couldn't open the windows anymore. Too many kids stuck their heads out like dogs do. You might get your head chopped off the driver said, and then I'll be in big trouble.

When there was still seven kids on the bus the bus driver pulled over. This isn't a stop one kid said the bus driver is retarded and they laughed. The bus driver picked up his radio and said 84 to base. The radio crackled and a guy said come in 84. The driver said I don't feel so good Vic. The guy said what's the matter? The driver said I think it's the flu. Remember I felt dizzy before now I feel a little nauseous. The guy asked if he could finish the route and he said I think so. The next stop was a street where three kids got off. And the next stop was the next street where the rest of the kids but me get off. We were at that stop. I was watching the bus driver. He was still sweaty but his face was more white instead of red. His eyes were closed and his lips were moving up and down even though he wasn't saying anything. The last girl was at the start of the steps when he leaned toward the door. I thought he was trying to stand but he didn't take off his seat belt. He started throwing up. The girl screamed and jumped down the steps but some still got on her leg. It was orange and creamy and there was a lot of it. It made a liquidy spilling sound. He threw up four times. It dripped down the steps and fell out onto the street.

It looked kind of funny but then when I smelled it I almost had to throw up too. I covered my mouth and nose and laid down on my seat. I heard the bus driver cough and spit. Then he threw up a little bit more. I took deep breaths through my mouth which can make you not nauseous and you can't smell that way but I could taste it a little. Then I looked up over the seat and he picked up the radio and said 84 to base and spit onto the stairs while he was waiting. The guy came on and said what now 84? He said I just got sick on the bus. What the guy said what are you talking about? The driver said yeah on the steps and everything it's a real fucking mess. Jesus Clark the guy said and he sounded angry is there anyone still on there? The driver looked up in the mirror and saw me. One kid he said. He lives just up the road. Jesus the guy said wait there I'll send someone to get him.

And then we just sat there. He said I could open my window and I did. I stuck my head out and I could see the hill where my house was on. Can I walk home I asked. He said I can't let you. I said why not. He said because of insurance reasons. I stuck my head out the window again and breathed the air. You could still smell the throw up out there but it was much better. A little kid rode by on his bike and asked what happened. The bus driver threw up five times I said. He asked why don't you get off? I said insurance.

I looked out the window for about three minutes and the little kid kept sitting there on his bike watching the bus. Then I heard the bus driver standing up. No one ever saw him stand up before. He looked at me and said do you mind if I come back there the stench is killing me. I said okay and he walked back past me and sat in the very back seat with his legs out in the middle because he wouldn't fit the regular way. The other bus should be here soon he said. His face was back to being red like it usually was. He shook his head and said I'm very sorry about that. It's okay I said. He said what do you expect the way I shit down my throat six times a day. When he talked there was a string of yellow spit between his lips that stretched up and down but didn't break. I looked at the naked pictures on the seat in front of me because if I looked at him I thought I might have to talk to him more. I wondered if he was going to let me go out the emergency exit in the back or would I have to walk through the throw up. I could even jump out the window if they would let me. I jumped from places like our shed that were higher and I never got hurt. I heard a bus coming and I looked up but it was a truck. When the truck went by it was loud and when it left I could hear the bus driver breathing. He was taking breaths every second and his nose sniffed. I thought he was laughing at first but he kept going for so long and nobody ever laughs that many times. I was afraid to turn around and look at him. I thought he might get mad or embarrassed. But I turned a little bit and pretended to be looking out the window and I could see him. He was leaning forward with his arms crossed and his head facing down. His eyes were closed but tears were coming out of them. He was shaking a little. I turned back around before he could see me.

Then I heard talking from outside the bus. I looked out and there was the little kid and also the three kids from that bus stop and the girl had on new pants. They looked at the throw up on the steps and then ran away from it laughing. They walked around the bus and saw the bus driver in the back. What's the matter with him they shouted to me. He's sick I said out the window. What's he crying about they asked. I don't know I said. They asked why don't you get off? I'm not allowed I said. They laughed and two other kids came on bikes from down the road. They showed them the throw up and they looked at the bus driver and he was still crying. Soon there was a lot of kids outside the bus. There was eighteen all together and some were even in junior high. They walked all around the bus. They kept shouting to me do you like it in there and does it smell good and are you going to cry too? I didn't answer anymore after a little while but they kept asking.

When the bus driver wasn't making noise anymore I looked back and his head was resting in his hands. His fingers were fat and they covered his whole face. He wasn't shaky. The kids outside started shouting and I looked and there was another bus coming. It was a little one. It stopped behind us and the driver got out. The kids told him that the bus driver threw up and he said he knew all about it. They showed him the throw up and he made a face and said that's disgusting. He looked up at me and said let's go kid. I started to pick up my bag but I didn't get up right away and he said let's go hurry up. But I just sat there. Maybe he died a kid said. A kid said maybe it's past his bedtime and he went to sleep.

The new driver walked to the back of the bus and opened the emergency door. Our driver looked up. The new driver stood by the back door and the kids were around him looking in. What's his name the new driver asked and someone said nest and someone said Ricky and he said come on Ricky I'm gonna take you home. All the kids were looking at me and our driver was too. I turned around and looked at the seat in front of me. What's your problem the new driver said don't you want me to take you home? I didn't answer and he said Clark what's this kid's problem? Our driver didn't say anything. The new driver said Ricky are you coming out or not it really doesn't matter to me. He waited a long time and said okay and the door slammed and all the kids cracked up.

The little bus passed by my window as it drove away. Some of the kids left and some sat down on the side of the road and talked and watched the bus. I rested my head on the window and I could hear the bus driver moving around in his seat and the seat squeaked until he stopped moving. Soon it started to get dark out. I smiled a little bit.