Bus

This evening I was on a bus that hit a little boy who lookd to be about 4 years old.

The bus was really crowded like every bus in this country. I was standing in the aisle near the front because if I can see where we are going it makes me less nervous to be alone on a bus in a country where I understand very little of the language.

We weren't going very fast becasue we had pulled away from a stop. We were on a very crowded and narrow street where there are many vendors and students.

I didn't see the little boy until after we had completely stopped and people rushed out into the street to lift him out from under the front of the bus. There was just a lot of screaming and everyone fell forwards like dominoes when the driver slammed on the brakes. We all fell to the ground. I have minor bruises across my shins where I landed on the raised part of the bus that covers the engine. My fall was broken by the grandmother next to me and her bruises are worse.

But know of that is significant in light of the anguish of the mother, child and bus driver. The little boy was not moving as she carried him away in her arms to get help. But there was also no blood and I am hoping that is a good sign.

I didn't know what to do and so I just followed the lead of everyone else on the bus; I got off and walked the rest of the way to my stop where I was meeting a friend for dinner.

When I got on the bus to come home, we passes the scene of the accident and the bus was still there waiting (I assume) on an investigation. The driver was sitting in one of the seats and there was another driver with him. He looked like he had been crying.

It is truly one of the scariest and most sad things that I have experienced here.


Sorry for the lack of posts. Internet access is really hard this year.