The Late Bus

Tom wakes up late. He looks at the time. It is seven. "No! I will miss the bus," he says. He gets up and runs.

Tom puts on his clothes. It is cold. He runs out of the door. He runs down the street to the bus stop.

But the bus is not there. The bus is gone. Tom is late. He missed the bus. He is sad and worried. He has work at eight. Now he will be late for work.

Tom waits at the bus stop. The wind is cold. His hands feel cold. The next bus will come soon, but not now. Tom waits and waits.

A woman comes to the bus stop. She is old, and she has a nice smile. "Good morning," she says. Tom does not say much. He is worried about his work.

"You look cold," the woman says. "And you look worried. Did you miss the bus too?"

"I did," Tom says. "I ran, but the bus was gone. Now I will be late for work."

"I miss the bus all the time," the woman says. She laughs. "The next bus is a good bus. It is hot, and it is not full. We can sit."

Tom smiles a little. The woman is kind. She is a nice woman. They talk about the cold, about work, and about the town.

The woman tells Tom about her dog. The dog is old and slow, but the dog loves to run in the park. Tom laughs. He is not so worried now.

Soon the next bus comes. It is hot inside. Tom and the woman sit together. They talk more. The woman knows Tom's boss. "He is a good man," she says. "He will not be angry. Tell him you met me."

Tom feels happy now. The bus is hot, and the woman is kind. He is late, but it is a good morning.

At work, Tom tells his boss about the woman. The boss laughs. "That is my mother," he says. "She loves the bus."

Tom missed his bus, but he met a friend. It was a good day.