(Author of Artscroll's newly released book of stories, soon
to be reviewed in Yated English, Chance Encounters?.
Meanwhile, suggested reading)
Tu B'Av is supposed to be a happy day for many good reasons,
but the people gathered at the bus stop at the end of that
torrid day seemed distinctly unhappy, in fact, miserable.
One was a father trying to cope with four little children.
"Abba, I'm thirsty." "Abba, I have to go!" "Abba, she took my
Bisli!" "Well, you wouldn't share, so..."
An old man with a cane grumbled about Egged, especially the
#27 bus, and about the traffic light which seemed forever
red, and about the whole public sector. "A bunch of lazy
incompetents!"
A woman with a teenage daughter, all dressed up in high
heels, going to a wedding: "We'll never make it in time for
the chuppa. And they won't believe that it was on
account of a late bus. Oh, that #27!"
The crowd at the stop was getting bigger and bigger, and more
and more frustrated, and there was still no bus in sight.
Faces were tense, angry, furious, in fact. Then the long
light at the corner flashed red again...
Suddenly, there was a blast of loud and lively dance music.
Everyone stopped complaining to listen and look. The sound
was coming from a white van at the intersection, waiting for
the long light to change. The back door popped open and out
burst five or six young fellows who proceeded to jump, dance,
tumble and leap to the top of the van with tremendous energy,
right there on the dusty highway.
Everyone at the bus stop started to smile. The little kids
began dancing and jumping along with the music and even the
old people were tapping their toes and humming along.
The light changed to green.
The highway dancers jumped back into the van, slammed the
door and zoomed off.
But the smiles lingered on [even till today, in
recollection], although the whole show lasted for perhaps
only one minute in time. Finally, the #27 bus arrived. The
tired people already sitting on the bus wondered at the
grinning, happy crowd pouring in the door, but it was too
difficult to explain...
