Bus Stop

It started to rain, but it wasn’t a heavy rain, just a small drizzle. On one of the busiest street, many people hurried into restaurants, inns, and any shelter within sight. After much jostling and pushing, a little black girl was pushed out of the bus stop shelter and into the cold, heartless rain. She tripped on a stone and nearly fell, but a black man caught her just in time and helped her to her feet.
Then he left as he saw his bus arrive. The little girl turned back, and saw the black man board the bus to pay the driver. Then, he got down and started to walk towards the back door, but the bus drove away before he could do so. Disappointed, the black man opened his sack to check if he had any money left. Seeing nothing inside, he started his long walk home. No one stepped forward to help him.
Another bus arrived, and the little girl saw a black man inside the bus refuse to stand up to give his seat to a white. The white man grabbed him by the collar, punched him, and, with the help of another white, threw the black man out of the bus. The black man placed his hand on his forehead to wipe away the blood, and sat at the side of the road, waiting for another bus to come. No one stepped forward to help him.
The girl stood in the rain for another few minutes, when she saw a white reaching out to take a sack of money from the black. His excuse was that blacks could not be trusted with money. For a second there was hesitation in the blacks eyes, but soon rage took over and he shouted at the white. At once, policemen were upon the black and they chased him down the street. No one stepped forward to help him.
Turning her head, the girl saw signs, many signs. Some said, “NO BLACKS”, while others read, “WHITES ONLY”. A black tried to enter one of those restaurants, and was immediately thrown out and punished. No one stepped forward to help him.
As she stood at the bus stop, many such images flashed pass and she wondered what they meant.