The Bus Trip

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Departing promptly at 9:55 AM from the Bundanoon shops, the bus set off towards the regional centre of Moss Vale. It’s a twenty-minute ride, though it often feels like an eternity. The countryside was lush and green from the recent rains, with cattle and horses grazing as if they hadn't a care in the world. We first trundled through the small village of Exeter, then onto the even smaller locality of Sutton Forest – famous for the luxury homestead of Nicole Kidman, whose boundaries you can just about spot from the bus if you squint and use a bit of imagination.

Arriving at the main bus stop in the heart of Moss Vale, I made a beeline for the Il Pranzo Cafe for a much-needed coffee. The place was awash with a sea of grey-haired ladies, all dressed to the nines and dripping in diamonds and pearls. It was like stumbling into a convention for the fabulously wealthy grandmothers of Australia.

After my caffeine fix, I headed to my appointment for a hearing test. The test was mercifully brief, and I rewarded myself with lunch at the Bistro before catching the 1:00 PM bus back to Bundanoon.

As I alighted from the bus outside the nursing home and waved farewell to the driver, I had the distinct impression that St Brigid herself appeared before me. She laid her hands on mine and guided me across the road, past her church, and towards the main entrance of the nursing home. Just as I glanced back to thank her, she vanished into the mists of time, or perhaps just into the bushes – who can say?