After my father had died in May 2007, I lived in our house in Fayetteville by myself for three months. I don’t drive, so I started using a county bus to get back and forth to the Super Wal-Mart on the highway. Not many used this bus. I’m not sure how many were even aware that Fayette County had such a bus. Those who did use it tended to be older.
One day in August, I took the bus back to Fayetteville after grocery shopping at the nearby Wal-Mart. There were only two other passengers on board, a man and a woman. They were both in their mid to late 70s. They sat on opposite sides of the bus, so they clearly were not together. They didn’t seem to know each other, and I didn’t know them.
One day in August, I took the bus back to Fayetteville after grocery shopping at the nearby Wal-Mart. There were only two other passengers on board, a man and a woman. They were both in their mid to late 70s. They sat on opposite sides of the bus, so they clearly were not together. They didn’t seem to know each other, and I didn’t know them.
For a couple of minutes, we drove along in silence. Then the man and woman began talking about religion. I could tell almost immediately that they were not of the same opinion, and I hoped they would just drop it so we could all go home in peace. But they didn’t drop it. They both pressed the issue. The man was sure that the righteous would be rewarded by being sent to heaven. The woman was convinced that the righteous would be resurrected so they may enjoy a paradise on earth.
Both stated their beliefs as if they were absolute and undisputed facts, and they were clearly annoying the hell out of each other. They began spewing Bible quotes at one another like poison darts. Each quote was delivered as if it were the final word and their opponent’s argument had surely been utterly and completely refuted. It went back and forth like this, and their voices became louder and more heated. Eventually, they became overtly abusive. They called one another names like “fool” and “idiot.”
I began to fear they might actually get into a fight. The bus driver was a soft spoken, mild mannered man, and when I looked at him, I noticed that he, too, seemed worried that the situation was getting out of control.
When the bus came to a stop across from the Court House, the elderly man stood to get off. He and the gray-haired lady exchanged insults one last time for good measure, and the man was suddenly gone.
Both stated their beliefs as if they were absolute and undisputed facts, and they were clearly annoying the hell out of each other. They began spewing Bible quotes at one another like poison darts. Each quote was delivered as if it were the final word and their opponent’s argument had surely been utterly and completely refuted. It went back and forth like this, and their voices became louder and more heated. Eventually, they became overtly abusive. They called one another names like “fool” and “idiot.”
I began to fear they might actually get into a fight. The bus driver was a soft spoken, mild mannered man, and when I looked at him, I noticed that he, too, seemed worried that the situation was getting out of control.
When the bus came to a stop across from the Court House, the elderly man stood to get off. He and the gray-haired lady exchanged insults one last time for good measure, and the man was suddenly gone.
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