Woman on the bus with a dog exercise

‘A woman on a bus today carried her Pekinese dog inside her handbag. It had a red bow on its head that matched her sweater.’

This short description of a real person could be the starting point for a fictional character. Imagine:

Who might she have been?

Where was she going?

What did her appearance suggest about her mood or state of mind?

How old was she?

How did she live?

Enid put her bus pass in her pocket and sat down on the nearest seat, her voluminous purple handbag on her lap. As she unzipped it a red bow poked out, quickly followed by two pointy ears, a furry snout and a wet black nose. The dog whimpered. "Now you be quiet, Fifi', the old woman said. "You'll be able to see daddy very soon." Enid had been doing this journey every Monday for five years now, ever since she'd lost George to the dementia. Sometimes she thought he looked forward to seeing the dog more than he did her. At least he seemed to remember Fifi's name most of the time. And while the little dog had always been George's pet, Enid had to admit she'd be lonely without her. The family home felt too big these days, and she'd not entered some of the rooms for years. As the bus neared her stop, she smiled fondly as she remembered the parties they used to host, back in the good old days. Now life was all ham sandwiches, electric heaters and the number 75 bus.

Why was she on the bus?

Enid was going to visit her husband George, who has dementia and lives in a nursing home. George was the driver in the family; she never learnt, so she uses her Freedom pass to get around. She makes this trip every Monday without fail.

Why did she have the dog and where was she taking it?

The dog, Fifi, is George's pet. While the dementia has destroyed almost all his memories he still seems to recognise Fifi most of the time, so Enid takes her along to try and keep at least part of George in the present world. She is very attached to the dog too, and she worries that Fifi might get lost if she puts her on a lead, so she travels in Enid's handbag for safety's sake.

Why did she look the way she did?

Appearance isn't very important to Enid. After all, she lives on her own, her adult children rarely visit and George doesn't know who she is any more.

Why did the dog have a red bow?

The bow is one that George gave Enid when they were courting. She knows it's silly, but he loves the dog so much and if Fifi is wearing the bow, Enid can almost imagine that George still loves her too.

What if someone steals her handbag - and the dog? What if she misses her stop? What if the bus breaks down and she doesn't get to see George today? What if Fifi jumps out of the bag and escapes when the bus stops? What if she decides to skip visiting George today?