#66 Bus - Inbound
A woman sits holding her extremely agitated son. He is perhaps 3 years old and does not cease to scream for the duration of the bus ride. For her part, the mother is frustrated but patient—firm but loving—in her treatment of what looks to be an extremely difficult situation.
We get off at the same stop. The woman attempts to walk with her son, but every few steps, he heaves himself on the ground and wails uncontrollably. During one of these tantrums, the mother attempts the walk-away, pretending to leave her son behind so that he will decide to follow. In response, the child leaps up and runs directly into Commonwealth Avenue (which, for those who don't know, is an extremely busy street at all times of day). The mother and I simultaneously, from opposite directions, sprint toward her son, waving off cars and drawing attention to him so that he doesn't get hit. We arrive at approximately the same time and she spends several moments trying to convince me that she's not a bad mother. I need no convincing as she has demonstrated patience above that which I would have been able to display in the same situation. After the encounter, I go back to the stop to wait for my connecting bus, and the mother walks away carrying her son firmly in her arms. He's still crying.
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