Gus the Bus

Mina waited at the corner with her bright red backpack. The morning smelled like toast, and the sidewalk was warm from the sun. She could hear something far away go vroom-vroom, hiss, and psshh.

Around the bend came a cheerful yellow bus with a wide, shiny smile for a grill. Its doors opened with a swish like a curtain. On the front was a little sign that said: Route 5.

"Good morning!" called the driver. She wore a polka-dot scarf and had a laugh like a bell. "Im Driver Dot. Hop on, hop on!"

Mina climbed the steps. The bus smelled a little like crayons and banana bread. The seats were soft and blue. Big windows showed the whole busy town.

"First time rider?" Driver Dot asked.

Mina nodded. "Yes. Im going to Pine Street School."

"Perfect," said Driver Dot. "When its your stop, press the yellow button to make a ding. Buses love a good ding."

Gus the Bus rumbled forward. The wheels went bumpity-bump over a crack, and Mina giggled. Outside, a baker opened his shop, and warm bread smells slipped in through the door. A gardener climbed on with a basket of tulips that looked like little cups. A sleepy dad held a baby who blinked and waved.

"Next stop: Maple Market!" Driver Dot sang.

Ding! Someone pressed the button. The bus slowed like a bow. A lady with a green hat got off, and a boy with a skateboard got on.

Mina watched everything. A spotted dog stuck its nose to the window and made a foggy circle. A line of ducks crossed the road, and Driver Dot tapped the brakes so gently that even the tulips didnt wobble.

"Quack-quack," Mina whispered.

Gus the Bus hummed happily. The seats were like a little neighborhood on wheels. People rode for a few stops, then waved goodbye. The bus remembered the way.

At Elm Avenue, Mina spotted something under the seat across from her. It was soft and gray, with one floppy ear. She leaned down and picked it up. It was a small stuffed bunny with a button nose and a ribbon that said "Button" in tiny letters.

"Driver Dot," Mina said, standing up. "Someone lost a bunny."

Driver Dot glanced in the mirror. "Oh! Lets keep Button safe until we find who needs a hug," she said. She carefully set the bunny on the dashboard where it could look out and not be scared.

They rolled on. The city slipped by in colors and sounds: a street musician playing a happy tune, a crossing guard waving a bright orange sign, a cat stretching on a sunny step.

At the next stop, a boy with curly hair and big eyes climbed on with his grandma. He looked all around, worried.

"Welcome aboard!" said Driver Dot.

"Have you seen a bunny?" the boy asked. "My bunny is named Button, and he fell, and I cant find him!"

Minas heart did a little hop. She pressed the yellow button. Ding!

Driver Dot smiled. "Thats a proper ding. Little rider, would you like to do the honors?"

Mina carried Button carefully, like a tiny treasure, down the aisle. "Is this your bunny?" she asked.

The boys face went bright as a lemon. "Button!" he said, hugging the toy. "Thank you!"

Everyone nearby clapped softly, even the sleepy baby. The gardener held up a tulip like a flag. The bus gave a pleased purr.

"Buses carry people," Driver Dot said. "And sometimes, they carry stories too."

Mina sat back, warm and proud. The bus turned a corner. The bakery smell came again. A little breeze tickled her nose. She looked up at the map above the windows. One more stop, then Pine Street.

"Next stop: Pine Street School!" sang Driver Dot.

Mina felt for the yellow button. She waited. The school playground flashed into view, bright and bouncy with swings and chalk drawings. Mina pressed the button. Ding!

Gus the Bus slowed to a gentle stop. The doors opened with a friendly swish.

"Thank you, Gus. Thank you, Driver Dot," Mina said as she climbed down.

"See you this afternoon," said Driver Dot, tipping her polka-dot scarf. "Same route, same smiles."

Mina waved. The bus rumbled away, full of people and tulips and a happy bunny. The street felt like it was humming a little bus song.

Mina started toward the school gate, thinking about dings and ducks and windows and how a bus could be a friend that rolled.

She couldnt wait to ride again.