391

Having spent two hours on the bus, we were completely exhausted. We had been driven past the candy factory, the golf course, Joy's old high school, and the badminton club. Altogether we had traversed eleven towns, of which seven greeted us with the ever so yellow McDonald's arches and five welcomed with the open doors of the shopping malls. Having survived this educational experience, we were determined to find Ricky at all costs. First we went to his father's house, then to his mother's, then we stopped by his mother's mother's house next door, then we went to his gym, then we went to Sven's diner. When we didn't find him there, we ordered a couple of burgers and quizzed Sven as to when he had seen Ricky last. Sven thought Ricky went to the city earlier in the afternoon, after work. Was he driving? No, he took the bus. What happened to his car? Ricky's got a car? Joy turned to me. No car? No car, nodded Sven. A busboy can't afford a car. A busboy? Joy raised her eyebrows. He's your friend! I reminded her. So we went back to the city. On the long ride home, we sat in the jolty back of the deserted bus, Joy sleeping on my lap, while I leaned on her shoulder. I watched her sleep and played Solitaire. Later she discovered that she had lost her cellphone to this adventure. She swears that the bus driver stole it while we slept.