By Simon Hole
The door of the bus swung open. Shamira took a deep breath and stepped on. Today would be about beginnings: new high school, new country, new life.
She wore a warm parka and boots provided by the sponsoring church—the dupatta wrapped around her head she had brought with her.
The quiet chatter on the bus became a deep silence as she moved down the aisle. Keeping her eyes on the floor, Shamira took the first empty seat.
A boy in the seat behind her began shouting. She didn’t understand English, but anger and hatred sound the same in all languages.
Beautifully written and I feel so sad for the girl.
Very nice, but sad, story. As I read along (knowing something was gonna happen on that bus) I was hoping it would be something good — a nice surprise for Shamira. This version definitely has more impact, but it would be interesting to read the exact same story with an alternate ending.
I have a longer version that provides some back story about the boy who is shouting. Hard to tell it all in 101 words.
Hey, Simon, you did great with your 101-words version!
Thanks, Bobby. A special shout out to 101’s editor Emily Clayton who helped me get the first paragraph right.
A troubling tale, all too frequent, and “normal” unfortunately. You set the scene very well.