Chapter 2

Pat turned on the bus radio to see if any storms were predicted for the area. It didn't take long to find a station with the news on it. It seemed like all of the stations were broadcasting the same news conference.

Reporter: "Professor Clemens, is there any danger to the people on earth from the black hole?"

Professor Clemens: "None what so ever. The black hole is far enough away that we will feel very few effects from it if any. It will be millions of miles away at its closest point."

Reporter: "Why has the scientific community become so focused on this black hole if it will have little effect on earth?"

Professor Clemens: "This event will further our knowledge of black holes greatly. Never has a black hole been close enough to earth to study it as we can now."

Reporter: "Why haven't we heard about the black hole until this morning?"

Professor Clemens: "We know very little about black holes and we had no idea of the speed of it and we really didn't know that they moved about the universe so rapidly. This black hole moved within our solar system in a matter of days and it is, at this moment, rapidly moving away from earth and heading back into space."

Reporter: "There have been reports that the sky has a different look. Can you explain that?"

Professor Clemens: "Black holes suck all matter into it, even light. A little of earth's light is being lost to the black hole. Naturally the sun will replace any light lost in a matter of milliseconds."

Reporter: "Is there any danger of our sun being sucked into the black hole?"

Professor Clemens: "No. The sun is many, many millions of miles from the black hole and the pull of the black hole. The black hole will have absolutely no effect on the sun."

Pauline got on the bus and stood next to the driver's seat listening to the radio. After awhile the reporter's questions began to get silly and Pat turned off the radio.

"I haven't had the radio on for the last couple of days; I had no idea that they had discovered a black hole close to earth," Pauline said.

"Well, they say there's nothing to worry about. At least we know why the sky looks so funny," Pat smiled.

Pauline sat down in the seat behind him, "I thought that I'd come out and keep you company. Anna has been giving you a hard time and I wanted to make sure you weren't about to choke her."

"Anna, is that the shrew?"

Pauline laughed, "I guess that's one way of describing her. She's not so bad though. She's an excellent teacher but she hates men. She was probably hurt once and has never gotten over it."

"I just wish she'd get off my case. She's not my type."

Pauline pointed to his wedding band, "Doesn't your wife hate these trips that you have to take?"

Pat took his wedding band off and threw it out of the bus window, "As of yesterday my marriage is over. This bus trip is my last trip for the company. My father-in-law will fire me as soon as I get back for divorcing his princess."

Pauline looked uncomfortable, "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have brought it..."

"Don't worry about it. It's been over for a couple of years now. It's time to move on."

"If you're going to be out of a job what are you going to do for a living?"

Pat looked at Pauline, "I'll do what I always wanted to do. I wanted to be a high school science teacher. Bess, my wife, talked me into working for her father after I got out of college. Her father and I got along like oil and water from the start. I guess that he doesn't appreciate some man having sex with his little girl."

Pauline laughed and Pat sheepishly said, "I'm sorry Pauline. I shouldn't have said that."

"Driving a bus is such a waste of your education. I'd love to see what kind of teacher you'd make."

"I think that I'd make a good teacher," Pat said, "I'm going to give it my best efforts. I want to make a difference in young people's lives."

"I'm sure that you'll be a great teacher," Pauline said as the first of the students got on the bus.

Before resuming the bus trip, Pat took a head count. There was one person missing. Several of the girls shouted the name Brenda and Pat looked toward the restaurant and saw a slightly overweight girl running for the bus with a six-pack of soda in one hand and a bag in the other.

After everyone was seated Pat put the bus in gear and started onto the highway. Several of the girls were trying to get some sleep. The main topic of conversation among the adults was the black hole.

After the bus had traveled about ten miles from the restaurant Pat noticed that the front end would start to shimmy at times. The shimmying would only last a few seconds and then the bus would be fine for several minutes.