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Monday, May 1, 2017

Vacation images

For the longest time I just heard the beads, click, click, clicking, and watched the picture forming, building from the bottom to the top. When I was tired, all the beads slid from the bottom and new beads fell to start a new picture. The pictures were Disneyish, but not Disney. They were pictures I’d seen during the day. Cherry blossoms, of course. Children. Families. People who understood the meaning and use of etiquette. People who had no idea.

A ranger would say, quietly into an ear, “This is a national monument, sir. Please remove your cap, take your smoking materials to the other side of the perimeter; take your argument with your friend there, too.  I had to smile; I didn’t remember hearing so much during the day, but there they all were, back again. I smiled. We are one rude nation.

I was tired; the girls and I had been on their feet most on the day. Caroline and I consulted, decided to go back to the Union Station for some supper, and come back to see our last monument, the Jefferson Memorial. They could ride the paddle boats for a bit, then back to the hotel and a good night’s sleep for Mt. Vernon and Montpelier. It was a bit of a hike down the hill to the red bus, but we were among the first on. These red busses fascinated me; on anywhere they stopped and off anywhere they stopped, for a buck.

A look around and I was beginning to sit down, when the bus exchanged its snooze at the curb for a dash to the center lane. I fell to my shoulder and sped pell-mell down the aisle, until my head crashed into a metal grill. I brushed off Laura and Caroline, who were up at once to help. I got up, got to the seat, and took a look at myself and at the bus. “I need to go somewhere to clean up,” I said. The girls said nothing.

The bus pulled back to the curb. Police came on; passengers left. I wondered for a second about their dollars. But the police were down to business, collecting information. We, obviously, were going nowhere. I considered my granddaughters, more mature than minors, but minors nevertheless. 

I picked a policeman from the group, and told him he was in charge of them for the time being. I told the girls the same; the policeman was in charge until he handed them off to a new person in charge. I told Caroline to call her mother. Then I stopped remembering.




34 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh!! This sounds like a very scary story!! I'm glad you are alright at this moment!

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  2. Oh, dear. I wondered if the trip had a hiccup or two since we had not heard from you. I'm gathering you are okay now?

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  3. Oh, Joanne. We were so worried about you.

    And so we should have been, it appears. I dearly want to assume things are somewhat okay now, since you're typing and making sense...

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  4. We were all so worried about you, Joanne. I knew that if you were OK, you would have been on Blogger to tell us about your trip. I am assuming that you are better now, but we now know that you have been through trauma. I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the story.

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  5. I've been worried about you ever since Francis posted his rather cryptic post. Hope you ok!!!!.

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  6. Well your posting so that's good, hope you are not hurt. Sounds like a scare for sure.

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  7. Oh Joanne. I am so pleased to see you back in the blogosphere. I have been worrying. Rightly so. I hope you are now ok(ish) and that the ish part of the equation is diminishing all the time.

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  8. It was a tumble. Do you own the bus yet?

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  9. So grateful to hear from you, but I see the worries were probably justified...So, think how many people care about what happens to you! Be well...Keep on keeping on!It sounds as though the story is by no means over.

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  10. Oh, my, Joanne!!! I have been worried silly about you. Imagination is a real enemy when we don't have facts! You must have lost some time, since you said you quit remembering. I anxiously await the next installment of this story. I fear the girls didn't get to finish the tours you had planned. Not a happy thing for any of you! Please take care of you. And thank you for letting us know something.

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  11. Your hitting your head concerns me. I await the rest of the story, but I am glad to see a post from you!

    betty

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  12. I am glag you are back, hope you areOK now.

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  13. You've got me worried. Are you alright? We have a few careless bus drivers here too and I've started asking them to please wait until I am seated before taking off.

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  14. That is not what you want on vacation!

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  15. Hari OM
    Oh I am cursing myself not being in touch earlier, because without doubt you have been on my mind... now it is clear I was picking up something major had happened. I have been the 'ball' in a similar incident, but thankfully no head involvement for me. It shook me up for quite some months though. Oh my dear... sending the healing vibes your way. Huggies, YAM xx

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  16. Oh, boy. Well, obviously you are well enough to blog again, but I'm wondering about the time in between then and now. I'm wondering about injuries, how the girls coped, the whole thing. Funny (not ha ha)that one of your first thoughts was what about the dollar each person spent for his or her bus ride. Take care, and fill us in when ready. -Jenn

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  17. OMG Joanne! how awful. so many questions. I've been so worried about you I finally contacted Francis when you ignored my email. He assured us you were fine and would be writing again. so, you know, we have to have the whole story.

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  18. Both relieved to see you on line again and deeply concerned about how you're doing now. You showed way more presence of mind than 99% of the population would have in a similar situation.

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  19. I'll echo the others in my concern and thanks that you are back. Hoping to hear more of the story.

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  20. OMG! So so sorry that this happened to you. When you feel up to it, let us know more. Take care of yourself in the meantime. Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  21. Oh Joanne - I have not been blogging lately as I have been recently widowed - but I did wonder where you had gone. Do hope that you are beginning to feel back to normal.

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  22. Okay, Joanne. I thought, she's back just to hear you were injured on your wonderful trip. A metro train took off at warp speed when I was in DC and I flew backward, but was younger and quicker and able to grab the pole. I only had a red face, but I do hope you are improving at warp speed too.

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  23. oh no what a dreadful circumstance, healing thoughts to you.

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  24. I am sorry about this happening. I hope you are getting better and feeling better in yourself. X

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  25. I always look for your blog posts, even when I am really busy. I wondered what had happened to you. It sounds like you will have a lot of stories to dine out on when you are recovered.

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  26. Wow! I've been wondering about what happened to you. If you're well enough to blog, then that's good news, but obviously you had a hell of a trip.

    Love,
    Janie

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  27. Well, darn! I can't wait for the next installment. Like all of your readers, I have been so worried about you. I am sorry the vacation ended like this. I hope you are feeling better. It is nice to have you back.

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  28. wow that was a surprise and much more for you. Seeing the title I was just expecting some nice pictures of your trip. Hopefully you are recovered and that driver is removed from duty or put on probation. No need to be jerking a bus around.

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  29. It is good to read you again, Joanne. Welcome back. Take care!

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  30. You've been away for such a long time I thought about you many times wondering when you'd return & tell us about your adventure !
    So sorry to hear about your horrible fall. I hope you are recovering well and will tell us more soon xx

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  31. You are going to need a vacation to recuperate from your vacation. Kind and healing thoughts are headed your way.

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  32. Hi Joanne, I'm so sorry-I've been away for awhile and the last I read, you were heading out on this vacation. I started reading from the top and then realized I needed to go further down because obviously something had happened.

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  33. I've been away from Blogland lately and missed this when you posted it. I'm sad indeed to hear of your accident, what a crazy thing to happen. I'll read your other posts now.

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