She began bringing me up-to-date on her family. Her three girls attended Beech Grove schools and sometimes assisted us on the bus routes. The older two girls are both married now and are raising families. Her younger daughter Emma is turning 21-years-old soon.
Amy was telling me about her and Emma driving out to visit older daughter, Chelsea. Emma doesn’t like driving on the interstate so she has a really good state highway route figured out.
As they got started on their trip to Chelsea’s, they were driving on Troy Avenue when they thought they spotted another one of our former co-workers. They weren’t certain, so they turned around and drove back by, spotted her again and wrote down the address. After that delay, they had to get going to Chelsea’s. I was so surprised to find out that they had sort of reconnected with a former co-worker. We have a strong group of co-workers at Beech Grove. I met Amy when she started at Beech Grove. It was about my fourth year driving there. We became good friends very quickly. She was great at her job. I don’t remember her having to take off for sick days or anything. Quickly she was involved in the training of new drivers.
Several years later, when I decided it was time for me to retire, it made me real sad to know that I wasn’t going to connect with all of my good friends each school day. My last day was very emotional. We all finished our routes and said our good-byes. Lots of hugs and handshakes. We made sure that we had everyone’s telephone numbers.
I was already planning to get together with my friends over the summer. I even stopped into the office on occasion during the following school years to try to stay connected with my good friends.
A few years later, I was informed she had switched to a substitute position. Not long after that I heard that she had also retired. I have purposely not mentioned her name. She was so very well known in Beech Grove. Her name is Ursula. She was my work-mate. I was so sad when she disappeared.
Amy’s telephone call to me last week was to inform me that she and Emma spotted Ursula parked in a large truck, trailer and bus storage lot on Troy Avenue. Simon (our dog) and I hopped in the car and drove up to Troy Avenue.
We found Ursula exactly where Amy told me. I introduced Simon to Ursula and we had a great reunion. I showed Ursula my driver’s license and explained that I was signed up for the organ donation program and I could tell by looking at her that she too was providing many of her organs (auto parts) to her brothers and sisters.
Ursula was named after the young lady that held case number 5 on the television show, Deal Or No Deal. Ursula was bus number 5.
It was a special reunion…