At dinner with Haru, he asks me
"Mommy, when will Mommy Elma be back?"
"She's just working a bit late hun. She'll be back soon."
I text Elma. "Where are you?"
15 minutes pass and she still hasn't replied.
I begin to worry. She told me she'll be back by 7:30. It's 8:35!
6:30 pm:
Elma boards the bus.
She sits at the back and opens up a cream bread snack. The programmer hungrily gobbles it up.
She looks out the window. Her eyes begin to shut. She opens them back.
"No I can't sleep" the dragon thought.
She stares out the window. There was something calming about the city lights. Her eyelids shut and she drifts off.
"Next stop: Oborozooka District"
The bus stops and many people disembark except for Elma, who was still sleeping in the back of the bus.
By this time, many other patrons had already left the bus at previous stops. She and a few people are still riding.
The bus continues its journey of stopping and picking up people.
"Next stop: Hikari Hill"
Elma slowly opens her eyes.
"Wha- STOP THE BUS!"
The driver tells her that she has to wait for the next stop.
She looks out the window and doesn't recognize the place. Her heart begins to pound. She gets a cold sweat.
She comes off at the next stop and asks the driver where she is.
"You're 11 stops pass yours"
"Can you please give me some directions to the way back?"
"Um ma'am, I need to go or I won't be on schedule. G'night"
The bus drives off leaving the dragon in an unknown place. Her nostrils inhale the strong cigarette scent.
She hears a croaky voice "Hey cutie. What's a nice thing like you doing here?"
"I need to remain calm. After all I'm a dragon" she thought.
She uses the perception blocking spell and attmepts to fly. Somehow she can't even transform.
"What the hell?!?"
"Nai must be so worried" she takes out her cellphone and notices it's on silent! It must have happened when she placed it in her pocket. There were 10 missed calls from Nai.
She calls Nai.
"Elma, where are you? I've been trying to reach you for an hour now."
"Nai, I slept in the bus and missed my stop. I tried flying back but I can't. I lack the mana right now."
Nai felt sorry for Elma. She was all too familiar with missing her stops after moving to the big city.
"Oh okay. Remain calm. You have Google Maps?"
She replies. "Uh I didn't pay for a data plan this month. I don't even know which direction I should go or which bus to take."
"Tell me where you are and I'll come and get you."
"I'm at Hikari Hill."
"Google Maps says you're about 45 minutes from here. I'll take the bus and get you. Stay right where you are. That place is known for its drug heads in the night time. Be careful."
Elma heaves a sigh of relief. "Thank you! You're an angel. What about the kids?"
"I'll bring them with me. It's way too late to bother Lucoa and Tohru or anyone for that matter."
Nai wasn't afraid for Elma. She knows she's a dragon and can take down anyone who bothers her. She still pitied her. It's a scary thing to be in an unfamiliar place at night for anyone!
She put the sleeping twins in the stroller. They fuss and cry. She tries her best to pacify them. She explains to Haru what happened to Elma and the four of them leave the home.
"Mommy Elma will be alright."
"Thank you Haru-kun."
Nai and the kids wait at the bus stop for about ten minutes until the bus arrives.
"Haru, I'm sorry to be doing this."
Their son smiles. "I wanna see Mommy Elma too."
Only 2 persons are on the bus.
Nai calls Elma. The two of them chat so Elma would feel less lonely as she waits for them.
The bus stops at Hikari Hill and sure enough Elma is there waiting in the bus shed.
"Nai! Haru! Thanks guys for coming. I'm sorry I slept away!"
Haru hugs Elma. She doesn't disturb the twins from their sleep.
Nai gives her a scarf and a hot mug of tea.
"I appreciate this."
"I'm your wife. It's nothing. Let's cross the road and go the main intersection. From there we'll take the E bus to home."
"Ok! I will set an alarm in case I sleep away the next time"
"We have to hurry. The bus will be here in 3 minutes."
The family catches the bus on time. Haru falls asleep in Elma's lap.
Nai hands Elma something wrapped in foil paper in a ziplock bag.
"It's your dinner. I thought you might be hungry."
"Thank you so much! I was starving." Elma hungrily eats the zucchini pie.
Elma:"My phone was on silent by mistake and I missed your calls."
Nai chuckles in an attempt to make Elma feel better. "I know what it is to miss your stop or to take the wrong bus. Believe me, it happened many times when I first moved here."
The programmer looks at her with warm eyes. "You're the best. I love you."