I caught the bus from Alexandria to Redfern via Waterloo, exciting times. A man with a long goatee tied up in a hair tie and wearing a leather vest stepped aside to let me on the bus first. I had my $2 ready so I was feeling quite confident about buying a ticket with minimum fuss. The bus driver was a diminishing man, tall and gaunt with every damn year of his life still open and bleeding.
I asked for a ticket to Redfern St and as I spoke he turned his head away and held out his left hand. I dropped my $2 into his palm, he flinched and let the coin roll into the cashbox. He pushed the button for the ticket and collected my change. He put it on the little ledge on top of the partition and turned away from me again. I bowed my head and walked down the aisle. I sat in the last empty seat.
I asked for a ticket to Redfern St and as I spoke he turned his head away and held out his left hand. I dropped my $2 into his palm, he flinched and let the coin roll into the cashbox. He pushed the button for the ticket and collected my change. He put it on the little ledge on top of the partition and turned away from me again. I bowed my head and walked down the aisle. I sat in the last empty seat.
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