Mom suddenly turned pale. Her confidence vanished in a second. She tried to say something, but the words failed her. The children clung to her even more tightly.
The boy calmly lowered his pant leg and sat back down. He didn’t say anything unnecessary, didn’t look around, didn’t try to shame anyone. There was no anger in his face, only weariness.
An awkward silence fell on the bus. One of the passengers quietly remarked that you can’t judge a person by their tattoos and age. Several people agreed.
Mom no longer demanded a seat. She simply stood silently, looking out the window.
