Tales from the Bus #4: Invisibility Prayer

[The invisible man.]

It was a blustery day. Chiaroscuro skies revealed an on-and-off drama when the late afternoon train pulled up. I shuffled on, draped myself into a corner seat, and submerged my head into my phone.

Only then, a voice sounded from somewhere. It was a prayer and a plea.

"Father and Baby Jesus," it said.
"In your name I ask you to make me
Completely invisible."

I couldn't see the man saying the words. Nobody looked up.

The voice sounded again.

"Make all my organs, all my exterior skin,
Including my clothing and outer garments,
Make them all invisible.
You know what I'm talking about.
In Jesus' name, in Father's name,
Make all parts of my body completely invisible.
In Jesus' name, I am serious.
I am asking you for this one thing,
Just total invisibility."

Then the prayer stopped. No sound but the whirr of the electric train coming to a stop at the Robert Street station.

The doors opened. People got on. I craned my neck to see who had spoken. A bald man in an orange shirt sat staring at his reflection.

"Not quite," he said.

I turned away, looking back at my phone. Everyone else ignored him.

"It was worth a shot," he said to no one in particular.

The train moved on.