The Accident

I could not imagine if I forgot anything. “Book- check, Study Link- check, Snack- check.” I thought through these things in my head. Yes, I think I got everything and just in time because I could see Edgar driving up in the bright, yellow bus. I zipped up my winter coat and followed my brother through the open bus doors.
“Hey a,” Edgar greeted me.
“Uh, hi, Edgar,” I responded.
I quickly sat next to Ayra (who was a kindergartener).
Nope still haven’t forgotten anything, I thought to myself.
“Brynn, Brynn, Chinese Restaurant!” she proclaimed.
“Oh, okay, Ayra,” I responded to her smiling.
“I went to a Chinese Restaurant to buy a loaf of bread, bread, bread. He asked me what my name was and this is what I said, said, said,” we sang.
When all of a sudden we heard a scraping noise, it sounded like something scraping across the ice below us. We heard a click and saw Edgar turning the steering wheel with his eyes looking down under the nose of the bus. Then, the bus started to spin out of control. Everyone screamed as loud as they could scream. It felt like we were on an amusement park ride.

When Boom…
“Is everybody alright?” Edgar asked.
“Yes,” we responded wearily.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the bus was headed in the complete opposite direction as it would be normally. That means the bus made a full 180 degrees turn on the road.
“I don’t know what happened, I drove like I usually do and I must have slipped on a patch of ice back there,” Edgar explained to me in his Mexican accent.
“Yeah,” I responded quickly because Ayra and I were in the middle of her favorite game, Chinese Restaurant. My window was open and the scent of bus exhaust filled the window. I quickly closed the window. It felt warmer now since the window was closed. I took off my winter coat and put it in the corner of the seat and continued to play with Ayra.
“When will we get off this bus?” I thought to myself.
I looked out the window, watching and hoping that my mom would come to pick me up. Other kids left, I just hoped that I will be one of them soon. I pulled my winter coat back on because the main door was open and Edgar was outside talking with some curious passers and also parents who wanted to take their child off the bus. In the distance I heard a train passing by.
“Toot, chug.”
“Come on, Edgar, shut the door,” I thought to myself. I gazed outside and little snowflakes fell on to the snow-covered ground and the already white cars. The scent of gum filled the bus. I think that I might be alright after all.

I looked up and noticed Ayra playing with another kindergartener. I decided not to bother them so I looked outside again. Around the corner came a truck full of sand to help us. Two men jumped out of the truck and spread sand on the road to make it safe for another bus to come pick us up and take us to school. Whoops and hollers filled the bus-- even Edgar joined in.
I sat back and relaxed against the cold, brown seat. I could not wait to leave this bus.
“Brynn, Chinese Restaurant,” Ayra begged.
“Okay, Ayra,” I responded back.
I knew, very well, that she loved that game. (I sort of did, too.)
“I went to a Chinese Restaurant to buy a loaf of bread, bread, bread. He asked me what my name was and this is what I said, said, said. My name is Halo Pickelo, Pickelo Halo, Dumb, Dumb, Birdie, Polly want a Pepsi, meow, meow, bark, bark, BLAH!” we sang together.
She loved that song very much. It made me happy to see her happy. I sat back again and wondered if my mom could still come get me?

“When will the second bus come?” I thought to myself, impatiently.
Just then, around the corner, I saw something yellow.
“Yeah! The second bus is here!” people cheered.
“Alright, everyone relax and form a single-filed line, please,” Edgar announced in his accent.
We filed out, one after the other. I got outside and the cool snow pressed against my warm face. I shivered because of the coolness. I climbed aboard the second bus while Ayra sat with her older brother, Talal. The bus started up. It grunted as if it did not want to be disturbed. When the bus started to leave I noticed Edgar wasn’t with us.
“Poor man, he must be cold out there without a jacket,” I thought. I sat back and could not wait to get back to school. I was also glad I didn’t have to wait there any longer.

Even though we got to school about two hours late, the day continued as normal. I never did know how long Edgar stayed there. I hope it wasn’t long.
Edgar is no longer our bus driver. He left last spring. Now we have Henry, but I still will never forget Edgar Rodriquez or the time our bus got in an accident.