Chapter 2

Sitting next to a very attractive lady you have just met with her open blouse exposing most of her very nice, very large chest is a bit disconcerting. Not only disconcerting but also my pants ego was getting pretty uncomfortable and starting to drool. Add to that this lady had both of her hands clutching one of mine. It is pretty difficult to begin a conversation.

"How many of these kids are yours?" I opened the conversation thinking it a reasonable topic.

She looked at me questioningly for a few seconds then smiled sweetly. She seemed to sit up straighter and even pushed her magnificent chest out. "All of them are my children."

"Ah, um, ah, how many are um, all of them?" I asked suspiciously.

"There are seventeen," She said with a smile in her voice.

I was astounded, "Wow, you must have a very happy husband."

She again looked at me questioningly, turned and asked one of the older kids something in French then turned back to me, "No, no, there is no husband. These are all only my children."

This was more information than I needed to know. What I did know was I needed to get away from this one. She was strange. Anyway I needed to leave pretty soon to go catch the ferry to Vancouver where I had planned to spend that night.

"I need to be leaving soon to get a bus for the ferry to Vancouver," I said attempting to pull my hand away from her.

She became alarmed and clutched my hand that much firmer. "Oh please, stay with us; we are going to the Vancouver too. We will need to go as well. You will ride with us?"

How do you get out of that? This lady was strange and was attaching herself to me, along with seventeen kids. Oh my.

My ex was an ex partially because I wanted kids and she didn't. Mostly she was an ex because I was a lowly teacher while her now current significant other seemed to have a bunch of bucks. I really didn't care, as it had been eight years since we split. Not a vicious split, just a "See ya, I can do better than you" from her. Since then I had nearly given up on dating. It was too disappointing, especially with my ED problem.

"Um, ah, Okay. I guess we could all go together. Can I help get your stuff together so we can leave?" I asked standing in front of her while she still clutched my hand.

She stood, still holding on, began buttoning her blouse with one hand then spoke to her kids in French. Whatever she said was effective. All of the ones of at least five and up began picking up everything, folding blankets, assembling diaper bags, rousing sleeping little ones, cleaning up any trash. In less than two minutes everything was in back packs with all the walking kids standing looking at their Mother. She waved her arm and they all began walking. The older kids were pushing two double strollers while the rest of the walkers followed in two lines with us in the rear. She was still locked onto my hand.

We walked up to a small bus at the curb. This was one of those small tour buses that could hold twenty to thirty passengers with lots of room for luggage and such. There, a man began putting the strollers on the bus while the kids got in and sat in what looked to be pre-assigned seats.

When the Mother, 'damn I didn't even know her name yet' and I got on the bus she pulled me by the captured hand to a comfortable front seat that faced out from the side of the bus. In the seat opposite us two older girls were sitting with the two strollers in the middle. I started to take my backpack off to sit and this seemed to alarm her. She realized what I was doing and when I had one arm out of the strap on that side she took the free hand so I could drop the pack at me feet. As soon as I had the pack under my seat she changed back to the hand nearest her. I could not have gotten away if I wanted.