"Are you sure you will be alright going home by yourself?"
"Yes, I will be just fine," I reassured Jane. I rambled off the bus numbers that I could take to get home to ease her worry over me taking a bus for a few blocks down Changjiang Lu towards my apartment. Jane had additional errands to run, and I didn't want to tag along like a little, lost puppy. I had taken the bus before on my own, and this would be no problem. I was independent, I was capable!
We waved goodbye to each other and I strode confidently towards the bus stop. I briefly thought for a moment that I could take a cab, or I could walk home, but then dismissed these ideas in favor of the bus, which would only cost 1 yuan, and take a fraction of the time. After waiting a couple of minutes, a pleasantly uncrowded bus numbered 207 pulled up to the stop. For a moment, my memory of the acceptable bus route numbers was clouded. 21, 208...was 207 one of them? I briefly thought. However, the spaciousness of this bus over others that had rumbled by (buses are crowded more often than not) was persuasive. I climbed on to the bus, and took a standing position rather than plopping down into one of the empty seats because I would be traveling for less than 10 minutes. Better save those seats for those who need them.
The bus traveled two blocks down Changjiang, and then moved into the left turn lane. As it turned left onto a side street, I suddenly remembered that I had taken this bus before! Last time, my friends and I had jumped off as soon as we could after the left turn was taken, and we had walked home the rest of the way, laughing at ourselves. However, this time I was not alarmed. The bus that Jane and I had taken to go to the tailor shop started along Changjiang, then veered off down another parallel street, and shortly thereafter looped back to Changjiang. I looked back at the memory of my friends and I jumping ship...err...bus...and chuckled. Why, this bus route probably just does the same thing! I mused. And we didn't stay on the bus long enough to find out! With this thought in mind--along with the determination to become a capable traveler of the Yantai bus system--I stayed on the 207 bus, waiting for it to loop back to the main road.
But the bus was taking the wrong turns. Left turn, then forward, left turn, and forward even farther from Changjiang Lu. Okay, I thought. No need to worry. This bus probably just takes a bigger loop than the others. It should begin to curve back any moment now. I sent Zach a text message explaining that I had taken the wrong bus, and was taking the "scenic route" home. No need to worry...just was going to be later than I had predicted. I took a seat. However, the bus continued to take the "wrong turns." I found myself attempting telekinetic control of the bus at every intersection, trying to persuade it to go right. The bus was now well out of the wealthier part of town, and began passing by older, shambly homes, and dusty, high-rise apartment construction sites. Worry began rising in my chest. Yet disbelief that the bus route could extend for much further and that it would loop back very soon continued its presence in my mind.
Eventually, an adventurous spirit welled up. Well, be as it may, this is an opportunity to see the parts of Yantai that I would never have gone to see on my own! I courageously convinced my worry away. The bus passed by enormous factories--huge, impersonal rectangular prisms of industry. The bus rode past even more high-rise apartment buildings under construction, all clothed in the characteristic scaffolding of bamboo poles and green mesh. The bus ran by an entrance to one of Changyu Winery's facilities...was it a vineyard? Was it a production plant? The bus continued on its journey, and rolled up a grassy hill. As it crested the hill, I looked down at a very unfamiliar sight. Instead of the high-rise buildings, factories, construction sites, and endless pavement that had become a reality of my daily life, I saw a sprawling village of red brick, gray cement block, dust, and poverty. A few people waited alongside the road for the bus, the bus stops identified by single, rusty signs leaning off to the side like tired, old men.
I must say that by this time, the (naive?), adventurous spirit had drained from within me and was expelled along with the exhaust fumes of this bus that continued to rumble into the middle of nowhere for me, yet somewhere for those who lived and worked out here. I also must say that by the time I realized that I should get off the bus and take a taxi back to my district of Yantai, there were no more taxis in sight. By the time I realized I should get off the bus, cross the road, and wait for the 207 headed back into town, I decided that it would be safer for me to stay on the bus. Not that people of the villages the bus drove past looked "rough," but I am unmistakably western-looking, was wearing my very conspicuous, puffy, white jacket, and would have to wait beside one of those "bus stops" for who-knows how long. I decided that I would rather not take the chance.
I was filled with worry, but tried to not appear so. I had been texting Zach, updating him on my situation, and trying to reassure him that I was okay...just had a long bus ride home. My last bit of naive hope was drained when I saw the Raffles ship-building crane, looming in the near distance to my left instead of as a speck across the bay as usual; I was VERY far from my district, Kaifaqu.
After what seemed like an eternity of worry and unfamiliar nowhere-ness, the bus made its last stop. My attempt to appear invisible to the rest of the occupants of the bus must have failed, as the driver turned around and began to ask me some questions. I attempted to tell him with a mixture of my limited Mandarin, Chinglish, and gestures that I didn't know this bus was going so far, and I was headed back to Tianshan Lu in the Kaifaqu district. The driver continued to ask questions, so I called Jane (who was worried about me, and had been calling me periodically to make sure I was safe) to translate. She told me that he said the best he could do was to take me back to Changjiang Lu, and I could take a taxi. As the bus finally turned around and began heading back towards Kaifaqu, I felt an exhausted release of worry. Finally...heading back home. The bus was finally making the turns I wanted it to. As the bus neared my stop, the driver asked around for a piece of paper, and wrote an address down for me to show the taxi driver. Even though I knew how to tell the taxi driver where to go, I was touched by his care for my welfare. I took the paper, thanked him, and paid for my long bus ride. I only needed 3 more yuan for the fare, but only had two 1 yuan bills, a 10 yuan bill, and a couple of 100 yuan bills. I put in the 10 yuan note into the slot, realizing how ironic the situation was; I originally took the bus in order to pay 1 yuan instead of the 8 yuan cab fare!
Utterly exhausted, I stepped off the bus... two hours later and two blocks away from where I had originally gotten on the bus. 2 hours to go 2 blocks.
Every taxi I saw was occupied, so I walked the rest of the way home. This was probably the best thing for me, as I was able to "walk off" the flamatory combination of irritation and fatigue, talk to God about my bad attitude, reflect on this experience, and with God's strength and mercy, release my irritation into the refreshingly chilly night air.
I would end my post here, but I know that you all would like to know that I got home safely, which I did.
I was able to come home to Zach with "high spirits" (as he described them), and this story ends happily with a caring husband's hug, glass of wine, and freshly cooked steak dinner all waiting for me.
