A BUS RIDE

By Dan Miller
May 11, 2007

I briefly witnessed a knife fight half a century ago.
I was no more than 11 or 12 years old, riding an Augusta city bus from near my home to downtown.

My plan was to spend the afternoon walking around downtown -- as I often did on Saturday -- looking at record albums at Davison's department store, and figuring a way to spend the quarter I had left (after bus fare) from my savings that week.

When the bus was about 5 or 6 blocks from where I'd be getting off, it stopped for a red light.

Out the window, to my right, a group of about 10 people had gathered on the corner sidewalk.... and right in the middle of the group were two men, slowly circling each other.
One had a knife.

It appeared to be a small pocket knife.

He would lunge occasionally at the other man as they circled.
Each had his arms spread in sort of a tackling stance.
Neither man was making contact with the other....
They'd just circle, with the occasional jabbing motion from the man with the knife.

I watched in horror.... fascinated by what I was seeing.
I can still feel that rush of adrenalin, or whatever it is that makes your heart pound when you witness such a thing.

Suddenly, the bus started moving....
We drove away....

For a few seconds I could still see the men circling as I craned to look out the window.

Then, they were completely out of sight.

I have no idea whether the knife man ever stuck the other man....
I have no idea whether they ever even made contact....
I have no idea how the fight ended....

I do know.... half a century later.... hardly a week goes by that I don't think about that bus ride.... and that fight.

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