Bad News Border

In the photo above, on the left is a bus, on the right is a border agent.

The context of this excerpt from my book is the following:

Bill and I were on a bus traveling from Turkey to Austria. The bus had just left Bulgaria and entered Yugoslavia, where the usual visa checks were carried out before proceeding. Here is what happened:

“William Brierly. William Brierly!”

“Uh oh, now what?” we wondered., as we saw the agent waving Bill’s passport in the air.

“William Brierly no Yugoslavia. Need visa. No have visa. No Yugoslavia,” declared the man.

The adrenaline coursing through our shocked beings shattered our peace, leaving it in broken shards at our feet.

(To make a long story short, after much broken English discussion, Bill had to return to Bulgaria alone; I had to continue on to Austria alone. Yikes!)

The story continues:

Meanwhile, the other passengers had received their documents and boarded the bus. The driver was waiting for Bill and me, impatient to get going. We had two minutes to come up with a plan.

“I will wait for you in Salzburg,” I said, “At the big Glockenspiel in the old town.”

The bus driver tooted his horn. We hugged each other and I jumped on the bus. As I got to our seat and looked out the window, there was Bill standing all by himself, gazing dazedly at me. I pressed my face against the glass as tears streamed down my cheeks and dripped from my chin.

The bus pulled away and Bill got smaller and smaller until soon he was out of sight.

Here is a question to ponder:

When something unexpected and horrible happens to you, what is your first reaction? Your second reaction? How do resolve it in the end?