Greyhound by Sarah(Qiuqi) Bovold
I unfastened the boot laces and pulled the soft fabric up to cover my knee. I then tightened them and made a bowtie. Every time I was tying the laces, I was afraid of they were going to break, but luckily that had never happened.
I was wearing my first pair of over-the-knee boots that I bought from the store in my city-Bemidji, waiting for my first Greyhound bus to your city, Minneapolis. The boots I had before were a little bit over my ankles but far away from touching my knees. The boots I was wearing to meet up with you were new, and they were size 10, which were bigger than I needed but fit fine. I tried them on when I was shopping, and they made my lower legs look more swollen than normal: it mostly because of the thick jeans.
But they perfectly matched my red and floral skirt that I got a while ago but rarely wore. I wanted to figure out what the flowers were printed on the skirt, and I thought you must have known since you love plants, especially flowers, and you have even got a degree in plant biology. I indeed believed it would be a great topic that we could discuss once I arrive in Minneapolis. You mentioned before that you have a big garden in front of your parents’ house, and you planted many types of flowers. You said someday you would take me to the garden and introduce each of the flowers you had by the knowledge you had learned from school. Well, SOMEDAY, which wasn’t the day I was waiting for Greyhound in my not long enough skirt and my unsteady boots. It was late October, and Northern Minnesota started saying goodbye to fall, and getting ready for winter. Part of my thighs weren’t covered by neither the boots nor my skirt: I felt cold.
I assumed the bus was printed in grey due to its name-Greyhound. The ticket in my hands said the bus would depart Bemidji State College station at 11:15 am and I would arrive in downtown, Minneapolis at 4:26 pm. However, I didn’t see the trace of a bus at 11:30 am: I started worrying. [We] had a plan for the night: watching the latest Star Wars movie. You had told me you would never miss any Star Wars’ movie, and I guess you just assumed nobody would reject the temptation of Star Wars. I wasn’t a fan of movies in general regardless if they were Star Wars or not. The only character in Star Wars I knew was Princess Leia. I tried her hair style once for a Comic-Con since she was a popular character, but it didn’t work for me. The cheap material Leia style white dress spotted with tea stains due to my carelessness, and it lost its fight against my aggressive washer: the dress ended in a garbage can. You and I spent an hour or two on phone to discuss how you would pick me up since there wasn’t a street parking nearby the Greyhound station in your city-as your complaint. You said you didn’t want to be late. So, the plan [we] came to was that you would calculate the time and arrive at the station at 4:26 exactly. Then I would jump in your car, and we’d flee. To be honest, that was like a scene in a movie for me, and I wondered if that idea came from Star Wars. It has been a few weeks since we’d seen each other in person, which was one of the downsides to maintaining a long-distance relationship. But you comforted me by telling we would have a great night watching a Star Wars movie together, and you capitalized all five letters in the word that was a stronger version of good.
I informed you that the bus hadn’t arrived yet by text, and I will be late were the unspoken words. I thought about how you would react to that, but before I came up with a clue, your message arrived, It’s fine, no worries. I hoped you said what you meant.
The boots were loose. I repeated unfasten-pull-tighten-tie, countless times while waiting for the bus to come. I bent my upper body down to check if the two boots were at the same height after making a beautiful bowtie. I hoped the bus could arrive soon then I wouldn’t have to fiddle with the long fabrics and the solid laces for five hours until I arrived in your city-Minneapolis.
******
No, the Greyhound bus isn’t grey. It’s blue. The bus finally came at 11:36. I took a quick look at my thighs: the uncovered parts turned reddish. I saw a dog logo printed on the bus’s body, and I bet that was the “greyhound”. I asked the driver if it was the bus to Minneapolis after the door was open. I wanted to make sure that was the right bus before I got on with my backpack. The driver just nodded and said nothing. I showed him my ticket that I folded several times while waiting. He wrote down something on a notebook, then motioned me to take a seat. I thought he would tell me why he was late, but he didn’t. There were so many reasons that made a ride be late and in a lot of times, they were not the driver’s fault at all. But the driver was always the one who I asked first about why the ride was late. I expected to hear a reason even though the reason didn’t matter at any points. No matter the reason was good or bad, logical, or ridiculous, I needed to adjust our plan to make it fit the delay. I sent you a message to let you know that I got on the bus. You later replied with a short sentence: Good, see you soon without a period or an exclamation mark. I settled in a seat and one boot fell again, but I decided to leave it alone. I gently scratched the red parts on my thighs to relieve the itchiness after the bus set off to the direction that I needed to go.
A lady in a pink jacket got on the bus after Greyhound stopped in the station next to a wooden building. I saw two men smoking cigarettes outside that building, and one of them wore a Minnesota Vikings Football hoodie. I could never be wrong with that due to the unique color combination of bright yellow and purple. I remember you said you don’t smoke, dislike wearing hoodies, and rarely watched football. So, it was very hard for me to imagine if you were in a hoodie like that and sucked up the wrap nipping between your fingers. The bus kept heading to south after a short stop. The two men disappeared in my sight after the Greyhound left for the next stop.
The pink jacket lady picked the same row as mine. She nodded to greet me when I turned my head to her. I didn’t mean to look at her, but it just happened to be. I nodded to her with a smile as I always did to response the kindness from a stranger. We started a causal conversation after she settled. She got to know my name is Sarah, and I got to know hers is Tina.
Tina said she was heading to Minneapolis for a job interview, and she mentioned the name of the town where she got on the bus, but I couldn’t remember. The interview would be on the next day, and her friend and the roommates were nice enough to let her borrow their couch for a night. Tina didn’t ask me what I was up to but, I, voluntarily, told Tina that I was heading to meet up with my cousin who was a student at Hamline University in the Twin Cities. I thought that would be the way to be polite - to share the same amount of information as Tina did. I told her that I would have a three-day trip in the Cities, and I borrowed a couch as well. My cousin had two roommates and they were okay with me staying at their place for two nights. I wasn’t sure if Tina told me 100% truth, but I partially lied. You aren’t my cousin, but we were dating. You had already graduated from a college long time ago, but I know you got a scholarship from Hamline University’s history program but decided not to go. I would have a three-day trip in Minneapolis, but you could only spend a day and half with me because you would be busy with your job. I would live in a motel, which I paid for with a discount. That said, I would love to live with you, but we knew that couldn’t happen. You did have two roommates: they are your parents who didn’t know my existence. I am not sure if Tina believed what I said. If she did, I guess I was a great liar, or her and I, we were both great liars. I rarely tell 100% truth to the people who I am not familiar with, but I don't have that many people to tell my 100% truth. Usually, the lies and the truth are going together when I am talking. They work very well together, actually. I told Tina that I loved her jacket, and the color was very cute. That wasn't a lie. She said she loved it as well, but her mom hated pink, so she had to lie to her mom that she got it from a friend for free instead of telling mom the truth-she spent $80 dollars on it.
“Sometimes, you got to lie,” said her, and I was wondering if she caught my lies.
“Nice boots,” Tina switched the topic from her jacket after she moved her attention to my footwear.
“Oh, yeah,” I looked at the spot where Tina pointed at, “thank you. They are nice, but they keep falling.” I maneuvered my body to make the boot to cover my knee and tied it up: I should have taken care of it before anyone saw them.
“That’s why I never wore those type of boots,” Tina paused “I got a pair as a gift, but I only wore them once.”
“So, you threw them away?” I asked without thinking too much. I hoped she wouldn’t consider it rude.
“Nah, they are nice. I won't throw them away,” said Tina, “they are just useless, you know, in the north, you need something else,” she pointed at her boots: they were yellow leather with some navy blue on the head part of the shoe. And I believed there was fur inside the shoe to keep her feet warm. I always called them “snowfield boots”, and my friend told me they are the best for the winter in Bemidji. I personally don’t think they look good, but I didn't tell Tina. So, I lied, “Wow, they look great!”
You sent me a Star Wars meme. I didn’t get the meme, and I didn’t tell you I didn’t get it. I replied lol even though I had no idea what I was laughing at. I looked outside and tried to read a road sign. But the high speed of Greyhound stopped me from getting to know where I was. I got to know there was a restroom inside the vehicle after Tina asked me to watch her belongings while she went to use it. I had heard some intercity buses that travel very long distance would have a bathroom, but I had never seen one myself. I had used the bathroom two or three times during the road trip. Those weren’t fantastic experiences at any levels. I had to keep my balance while using it to prevent my head from hitting the wall. In the tiny space, I could barely turn around. I don’t like using the bathroom on a moving vehicle for sure. But I didn't want to hold my pee, either. When I arrived in your city, the first thing I wanted to do was to give you my warmest hug instead of asking you, “do you know where the bathroom is?”
*****
The bus stopped in a parking lot in the city called Brainerd at 2:25pm, which was a transfer station to drop for passengers who needed to go to Fargo, North Dakota. The driver told people who remained on Greyhound that we had an approximately 20-minute break, which was aimed to wait for people from Fargo who needed to transfer onto our bus. I went get some food at the McDonald’s nearby. And of course, I took care that my boots were covering my knees and evened at height before I got off bus. I ordered a Filet-O-Fish and a small vanilla milkshake. I got my receipt with an order number 398 and waited next the floor-to-ceiling window where I could see my bus, and the group of passengers from my bus waiting for the bus from Fargo. I saw a lady among those people, she wore a pair of white jeans, but half of the jeans were covered by her brown over-the-knee boots. Her boots didn’t bother her at all while she was wandering around the parking lot. I was wondering how did she prevent her boots from falling? Did she tape the boots on her jeans?
I felt relaxed after I saw my bus driver walk into the McDonald’s and started ordering food.
“I like your skirt.” The voice came from behind interrupted me from hearing more about my bus driver’s order. I turned and saw a lady there waiting for her order, smiling.
“Oh, thank you!” I was pleased by her comments. But I tried to restrain it - my lips were slightly up but not much. I wondered if the lady would tell me what the flowers were on my skirt, but she didn’t say anything else after she simply delivered the message of liking my skirt. The lady went up to grab her food after the employee at the McDonald’s called, “393”. She said, “Have a nice one,” to me while she passed me. I didn’t feel much disappointed after the lady left without telling me anything about the flowers. I believed you would be the one to reveal the mystery. I started messaging you while waiting for my order. You recommended that I not to eat too much, and you wanted to take me to your favorite restaurant after watching Star Wars. I remembered you once sent me their menu, and I told you the food there seemed greasy and pricy. Wait, did I tell you that? If so, did you hear what I said? Or, did you even listen? I typed “sounds great” in return to your plan and asked you, what do you want to order? I tried to build a faith to make myself believe it would be a great meal, and we would have a great time, and of course the Star Wars movie would be great. I loved to use the word would whenever I thought about you.
A small white bus parked next to the blue Greyhound after I got back to my seat with the Filet-O-Fish and milkshake. I was glad my boots didn’t bother me during my time at McDonald’s: I guess they were worried I’d leave them behind, so they decided to hug my legs tightly. Quite a few passengers transferred to my bus, and the driver kept driving the vehicle to the place where he was supposed to go after he finished his food. I gazed at my phone. No, I should say I gazed at the line says, “read, at 2:41pm today”.
*****
I finished my Filet-O-Fish before the smell spread inside the vehicle; I drank the milkshake before it froze my fingers. My back started feeling sore while time was getting close to 4. The Greyhound drove in a fairly busy town or city, or whatever people calling it, and you finally ‘replied’ to my message without answering my question about what you were going to order at [your] favorite restaurant. The answer didn’t matter much, I guess. You said your boss already left and you almost finished your work for the day. I wish you could be here earlier - you said, “then it wouldn’t be such a rush for us driving to see your Princess Leia”, that was something you didn't say but here, I would love to say it for you. You sent me many pictures about the new Star Wars’ movie, and you made comments on each of them as the way you showed me what a “senior fan” should be like. I felt “pain” when I used data to open each of them.
Tina told me she would get off at Maple Grove where her friend would pick her up, the stop right before downtown Minneapolis, after she got a call. She put her pink jacket on when the Greyhound bus stopped at a red light. I saw she try to smooth the folded jacket; I saw her index finger repeatedly scratched at a small spot to wipe off the dirt. She tried to make the jacket that about truths and lies look decent and clean.
After saying bye to Tina, I checked the time: it was 4:26, the time I was supposed to show up at the front door of the Greyhound bus station and implement the plan called “jumping into your car”. I sent you a message with two words: Maple Grove. I let you decide when you come to the station. A few passengers got off the bus, and there were no new passengers that got on the bus. My boots fell again.
I received a picture from you while the Greyhound was driving into the boarding area, and it wasn’t about Star Wars. I saw you in front of a vending machine behind you in the picture. You told me you were waiting for me in the Greyhound station hall. I felt a little bit disappointed since I prepared to “jump into your car”, and I assumed you had already found a decent parking spot.
I tightened the laces before tying them up, and I could feel they rubbed my muscles harshly. I bent my body to ensure they were an even height after I got off the Greyhound, then I joined the group of people rushing into the station hall. You were still standing by the vending machine. I quickened my pace and prepared to give you a hug once we got close enough. However, you held my left hand instead.
“Sarah, we have to go! I am worried my car will be towed. I’m not sure if I am supposed to park my car there.” You said very fast as if someone behind you was going to tow you. I was ‘amazed’ by the first thing you said to me when I arrived in your city was the parking issue. But it didn’t bother me too much since I didn’t want your car to get towed either.
You couldn't stop talking about the parking issue while we were walking toward your car. You even forgot to release my left hand. You set off to the movie theatre immediately after we both fastened our safety belts. You didn’t realize my backpack was still on my back and it made my back uncomfortable, especially with the tight belt on my body. Maybe you realized, but you just didn't bother to give me the time to take it off. I checked the time: it was 4:54 pm. We still had about an hour before your beloved Princess Leia started showing up on the screen. On our way to the movie theatre, you asked me about my trip. I told you about the Greyhound bus, Tina, and of course, the restroom on the bus. I even mentioned the person at McDonald’s said like my skirt - I wanted to hand you a hint to notice my skirt.
“Sorry, what did you say?” you didn’t hear the part about someone commented on my skirt, or since earlier you didn’t listen to my words. You were busy with driving, I knew. You were supposed to focus on the road, I knew.
“It’s a great Greyhound experience,” I said a short sentence in return.
“That’s good.” You said without moving your focus-you were a good driver.
It was odd that my boots didn’t fall on our way to the theatre. Maybe it wasn’t odd since I tightened them very tightly - the most tight I ever had. You talked a little bit about the new Star Wars movie after we were far away from the chaotic downtown area. Though the traffic was a bit rough since it was rush hour in the city, we weren’t late. You asked me to run with you after locking your car. The theater is on the third floor in a big shopping mall. Expectedly, my boots fell due to moving fast. I stopped, bent my body to take care of them - unfastened, pulled, them tightened, tied. You hurried me when you realized I left behind.
“Those boots are annoying, right?” You asked me and showed me your sympathy.
No, they look beautiful on me. They were nice, they were soft, and they protected my knees from the cold wind in Bemidji and Minneapolis. But I didn’t tell you any of those. Instead, I said, “Yeah, kind of…” I didn’t tie the laces very well: [we] were in a hurry.
You repeated several times how lucky we were because the good spots we got: the seats were in the central of the hall and had a perfect distance to the screen. You chatted a little with the person behind us about how much you loved Star Wars, and how often you rewatched those movies, and your favorite characters. You clapped your hands and cheered when the lights were down as if it was the ceremony you had waited for decades. I looked down at my skirt. Inside the theater was dark, but the light from the screen helped me see the flowers on my skirt: what are they? I questioned, silently. When the first character in the movie appeared on the screen, I felt my boots fall.
“The reason I trashed it is because I want to "move on". I started writing it at the end of 2020 and have revised the essay countless times. By that, I mean the "big revisions". It had been rejected ten times. Whenever I was working on a new piece, I always turned back to revise this one. I have no idea what I can do about it, to be honest.”
Sarah(Qiuqi) Bovold, a nonfiction writer from Beijing, China. She loves writing, traveling, and photography.