The Devil Rides Out

Diana Davis

Have you ever seen the devil? I noticed his face. The bus driver. He was wearing an unpleasant sneer. That was the first time I saw him that day.

I'd been offered a place on a training course in Edinburgh but turned it down. How could I leave my family every Saturday? Then something made me change my mind and on the day before the course was due to start I had to go to Edinburgh for the final interview. I had taken the kids to school and had to catch a bus into town to get the train to Edinburgh. That was when I saw him the first time - driving a No 16.

The trip to Edinburgh went without a hitch. There were no problems at the interview and I was back in Glasgow in time to pick up my youngest from school. He needed new shoes so for the second time that day I caught a bus into town. I don't remember what the driver of that one looked like, it wasn't the sneering one. But when we got on the 16 bus to come home I saw him again. He was still wearing the same unpleasant sneer. The bus was busy so we decided to go upstairs and when I was about half way up the bus gave a tremendous jerk. My right foot, which had been on the edge of the higher step slipped off and I felt a pain shoot through my ankle.

By the time I was getting off it was really sore. I sneaked a look at the driver. His look hadn't changed.

That night I tried to convince myself that it wasn't too bad and that I only needed a night's rest. But when my friend came to the door at half past seven the next morning to give me a lift it was all I could do to hobble to the door with a makeshift crutch. Later that day, the first day of the training course, we took a taxi to the Western Infirmary. My ankle was sprained and began to turn purple.

I didn't miss too much of the course. Thanks to my friends who gave me lifts in their cars and arnica tablets. But I was still housebound four days later when the Twin Towers were destroyed.

I never saw that bus driver again.

You read about strangers who come along to help people in emergencies then disappear.

They could be angels.

I'm pretty sure the driver of that No 16 bus wasn't an angel.