Bus Story: On The Wing

Together they sit, sunshine and condescension wrapped around them like a stadium blanket. She, with hair piled skyward, flicks her newspaper in disdain at each new rider who fails to meet her expectations. His shoes likely cost more than most of the ridership’s mortgages, and he looks up from his phone screen to deliver withering glances of disappointment. One young man, however, is not fazed by their gaze, and quietly sits behind them, placing his trumpet case on his lap. His countenance is calm but fierce, with a shock of dark auburn hair swept back, showing green eyes filled with purpose. It seems the married demons of Contempt and Disdain have been relegated to riding with us today. But Gabriel, his archangel-ness hidden for the moment, is about to make their day a little less pleasant.