Chapter 31

• After we had driven a short distance and joined the dual carriage way, Ray started collecting bus fare from the passengers. The bus fare was fifty shillings. The man seated next to me handed him a one-hundred-shilling note and said it was for me and him. Ray gave him fifty shillings in return, but he refused to take it, insisting that he had paid for me. Ray was a proud man. He could not watch another man pay bus fare for his woman. He told the man that the lady had not requested to be paid for and threw the change at him. The man was surprised to see that Ray did not ask for me to pay but passed. When he was done he came back and found the man still trying to talk to me. He asked about home and said how he had missed me.
• We came to a bus stop and another tout entered. He looked at me and extended his hand to greet me. I shook his hand in response. He didn’t release mine and continued holding onto it as he asked my name. Ray pushed him a side and introduced me to him. “Ray, you have gotten yourself a real jewel” he said. Ray handed over the day’s earnings to him and explained to
• me that he would be taking over the work from him. He said that we were about to alight. I wore my shoes in readiness.