‘The Evening Lights of New York City Were Beginning to Twinkle’

On the M72

Dear Diary:

The evening lights of New York City were beginning to twinkle as the driver pulled the M72 to a slow stop. A middle-aged man with an unsteady gait got on pulling a small, rolling suitcase.

Just as the bus started to pull away and gain speed, the man sat bolt upright.

“I forgot a bag,” he exclaimed.

The driver eased to a stop, and the man shuffled off with the rolling bag to retrieve the one he had forgotten. The driver waited until the man was back on board and safely seated before pulling away again.

Before getting off at the last stop, I paused on the steps and thanked the driver for being so patient with the passenger. He smiled.

“I do what I can,” he said.

— Bruce J. M. Knopf