A Bus Ride For One To Winchester Please!

Dear Diary 📔 #ScruffyKid aged 5 

Ah, there you are, it’s been a while hasn’t it, well sit down and get comfortable and my story will begin...

A Bus Ride For One To Winchester Please!

I remember my mother stooping over me, while she brushed off, what ever it was, off my Duffle coat...
“There, that’s better.”
With a safely pin from her purse, she added the final touches to my finely brushed down coat.
It was to anchor the parcel label, made from a rough brown card, which was arrow shaped at one end, where a hole punch allowed a tatty piece of string to pass through it. Thus secured it read:
‘ I’m Paul, and I’m going to Winchester Station to be met by my Great Grandmother. Please make sure I get off at this station.”

“What’s that Mum?”
“Oh, it’s just a note so people know where you’re going.”
I look down at the blue biro’d scribble, now firmly secured by the pin through the string.

‘ lovely.’ I thought, ‘I look like an idiot, on auction to the first village I come to.’
“Why?” I say, in that way children do.
“Just so people can see you’re travelling alone, and to look out for you.”
‘Oh, cricky!’ I though some more.
Don’t worry Granny Gardner will be there to greet you.
And this did comfort me, I loved My Great Granny Gardner, and more importantly, she loved Me!
The day was fairly sunny as I remember, it was the start of the schools summer holidays, so there were quite a few crowds gathering around each bus, all destined to different parts of Hampshire. and I remember in one corner of the station they had Quart milk machines, that would drop a quarter pint of milk in a carton, for a few pennies.
But I was given a bottle of orange juice, made by Jess, from another bottle of concentrated juice. How long it concentrated for, I have no idea, for I was all ready to go!

I was lifted up to the rear seat, that sat longways down the aisle, and had its twin facing me on the opposite side. These were the first seats you’d pass boarding the Green Hampshire and Dorset Bus.

Mother stepped down, brushing her finger through her wavy dark hair.
“Bye! And you be good! Don’t start running about!”
Ding! Ding!
And we were off.
The Bus made a grouching sound, as it turned out of the station into Bedford place, as if it disagreed with the direction taken. This made me rock from side to side until the bus settled on its route, but it wasn’t long before it turned again, with its same complaint.

I was going past the Park now, with the sun dancing through the trees.
A woman sat opposite read my label and smiled.
Now this label could have said anything, like Please do not make eye contact, he bites, or for 2'6 this child can be yours, and for a small down payment, you can take him away today! we hardly notice him most of the time anyway. PS no returns or refunds after midnight.
The Conductor walked over to me and said, “Don’t worry Sonny, this bus stops at Winchester station, so I’ll let you know when we arrive.”
Great!
It was a bumpy spring screeching ride to Winchester. But I was headed to a place, that even now, gives me a warm feeling, because my Granny will be there, and we will have Great fun.
I’ve no idea why I’m on my own on this journey, because I’m one of four siblings and even my Twin was with the rest of the family. But I didn’t care, the best woman on the planet will be looking after me.
Sure enough as we passed King Alfred, who had nothing better to do. I saw my Granny waving at me, wearing her pie shaped hat.
I jumped off the bus and run up to her and gave her a big Hug!
“Granny!”
“Steady on, you’ll have me over!”
“What are we going to do Gran?”
“Well, first, lets go to the park, you can feed the ducks.”
“Brilliant!”
I spent the whole of my summer holiday with Gran, in the day time we’d go for walks, and she would point out the wild flowers, and tell me there names, and the birds, and the trees, my Granny knew Everything! She was a genius.
We would play cards or make up puzzles in the evenings, starting from the corners, naturally.
And the smell from the lamps had a scent where fond memories would stir if I ever come across that same smell.
It was the smell of warmth, the smell of Comfort, the smell of Love.

Dreams are something I seldom remember, least of all childhood dreams, but on my first night with Gran I had a dream I can still remember quite vividly; I was stood outside Grans house in Colden Common, and it stands close to the main road that leads to Winchester, and it had a slight bend and a rise there, and for some reason I fell into the road, and I couldn’t get up, Gran screamed at me to get out of the road as a car was coming, but all I could manage was to Rock from side to side while my gaze was fixed  on the car baring down on me with horn blaring and dust flying from its wheels....
Gran woke me and handed me a glass of water, she said I was shouting in my sleep.
That’s the only dream I’ve ever had where I felt helpless.

After I told Granny, she said, “Well next time that happens, stop being silly and just get up and step to the side.”
It’s never happen since and I’ve no clue as to what had set it off.
But I still remember it.
Thank you Gran...