Shadow Puppet Storyteller

(Ghost) Exposed to the Aisle

In process

I was glad to have a young man gently situate himself next to me on Bus 1131 - especially on that day. Even when he didn't take note of me, and almost instantly closed his eyes for a light doze, that fact did not bother me. It meant I was no longer exposed to the aisle of this bus. For a few minutes, I felt comfortable enough to stare out the window, onto the street. But, then curiosity got the better of me. I wondered what kind of steel this one had. I never had seen him on my bus before. I figured I had to make an evaluation of how good a defender he might be, if the need arose on this day.

The rider was a long, lean man with his arms folded over his casual Friday Old Navy turtleneck. He had a full halo of chestnut hair, and I was sure he was single. You see, experience has shown me that he'd have less hair altogether if he was married more than a single month. His business pants matched the color of his hair, and they were straight-on neat. He might be a bachelor, but no housekeeping slouch. If he'd had a suit jacket on, I might have not known that his arms were finely muscled. It looked like he spent a regular amount of time lifting weights. It was a somewhat derailed evaluation, due to his good looks, but "good for him," I thought.

So, from a on-looker's perspective alone, he had something to offer. The fact that he had definition in his hands and arms gave the imagination a platform, and the brain could remark, "There's something here to spend an extra minute admiring." This was the type of detail the uninitiated would overlook - but having a seat partner that might draw the attention of the Bagala'dgnash that roamed the aisle at midday, just could be a saving grace. I felt this fixation I was entertaining over the beauty of those arms was an important clue to his being here by my side today. The light-dappled strength of those arms distinguished him. His tallness, otherwise, would draw the eyes up and up with nothing but straight up and down features, like a modern glass skyscraper. Instead, I felt like I was barricaded behind the doors of a trustworthy Art Deco, like the ol' Empire State.