The first connection from Boston to Springfield was admittedly uneventful. At maximum, the most exciting thing was two music lovers having a nonstop discussion about, you guessed it, music.
The second ride, however, was when things got interesting. Seated in my vicinity (sometimes in front, sometimes behind) was a heart wrenching pair of travelers: a mother and her mentally challenged son. The kid was very sweet, and despite an apparent and understandable inability to pick up on social cues, the boys intrusion was anything but abrasive. He even made me exchange numbers with his mother, making me promise to stay in touch.
As much as I enjoyed they're company, the real story comes from the little snippets of backstory the kid would occasionally let slip. I'm not going to supply any specific details, but suffice to say that the two are having a rough time. The pair were kicked out of their home (it sounds like the landlord/bank/evil entity repossessed most of their property) and now they are making a pilgrimage to Missouri, hoping to crash at a relatives house (Flowers in the Attic, anyone?). The mom appears to have spent most, of, if not all of her money towards this two day bus ride. I obviously don't know the whole story, but my heart goes out to the little boy. I hope he makes it out okay. On a less serious note, I am sure an unscrupulous Hollywood exec would love to buy his life rights when he's older.
When I finally got to albany I had an hour while waiting for the bus that connects to Saratoga Springs. Fortunately, I had some entertainment. An elderly African American women dressed in a flowing pink dress was singing some of Broadway's greatest hits. She was by no means a professional, possibly delusional, and 100% hilarious. I hope my next trip is this exciting!
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