The Bus rides

She was full of contradictions and unexpected twists. She was studying in expensive, private university, but was barely covering monthly expenses with what her parents managed to send her. She was extremely sexy, but did not know about it. She represented a nation, which manically attached to its traditions and roots, but she felt no roots and was truly cosmopolite. Most of her best friends were guys, but when it came to romantic relationships, she had no clue what guys were about.

She was living in friend’s empty house, which was in the most expensive area and where thepublic transport did not drive, but she had no car. That is why she was waking up 2 hours before her classes started and her way to uni took almost an hour. But that had no impact on her mood. She was waking up with the alarm, turning on the music, putting on the cloths, singing and dancing at the same time. 

She had her breakfast and rushed out. The walk to the bus station took from 15 to 20 minutes, depending weather she wore high heels or walking shoes. On her way she met only expensive cars and smiling garbage man in bright yellow uniform. Garbage men were smiling and shouting “Bonjour mademoiselle!”, and she was smiling back. Most probably they too were glad to see a human being just as she did. Then she waited for the bus, which always came empty since this was the first stop (or the last, depending from which direction you look). 

The bus was taking the longest possible route, passing parks, Moroccan areas, churches and even one jail. Every time she passed the biggest jail of the city she wondered who were inside, what their cameras looked like and who are waiting for them outside those high walls. 

On first days she watched the streets and was amazed to find so many different places in one city. She also admired drivers who drove on extremely narrow streets, their neat appearance and smiley faces. 

Later, when she had observed everything in the 40 minute drive and knew the way by heart, she started taking books to read in the bus. The books were different but all of them took her somewhere else and made those 40 minutes seems much less.

Many different incidents happened in those 4 months of driving back and forth in the bus. Some are long forgotten, but some somehow staid with her for years. The strangest thing is that all of them happened in the evening, when it was almost or already dark and she was on her way back. Maybe in the morning people were still sleepy, or something… or maybe she was sleepy herself, because nothing from her morning drives was recalled later. So here we go:

Episode 1 – The good guy and the bad guys

It was 10:00 P.M. and she was going back home after her major class and a glass of beer with her friends and Finance professor. In the bus there was a thin young guy with glasses and her. She was swimming in her thoughts and looking out of the window. The guy was quite too, looked tired and empty. At least that’s what she thought when she looked at him.
On the next stop three Moroccan guys came in and sat close to the guy, though the bus was empty. She realized that it was a bad sign and became tense. If they shift their attention she may be in trouble. 

Moroccans started laughing and talking loud, which was ok because that’s what most of them did in the public transport. But that was the beginning only. Then they started asking questions to the guy, who looked scared and tried to be polite. She was looking at the scene and thought that if that happened in her country, the modest guy would minimum curse them, but it’s back there, here people were too polite to go against such pricks. They mostly smile back. Then Moroccans started pushing the guy and telling different F… category words following with loud laughter. The guy only smiled back.

She felt how everything was boiling inside her and she was hoping that the guy will finally awake his masculine nature… but in vain. The guy was helpless and Moroccans only enjoyed it more. She was thinking how sheepish this civilized Europeans were… they let this guys into their country, pay then different kind of financial aids and let them climb on their heads. And although the guy himself was not guilty, he was the victim of unfiltered emigration policies.

She debated with her inner self to interfere or not and she is too ashamed to admit that she got scared. She was very thin 19 year-old alone in a bus, in the dark, in foreign country and no one was waiting for her at home. She realizes that all that is not a decent excuse, but she did nothing…she only sighed with relief when finally after few bus stops Moroccan assholes left.

Maybe she still feels guilty, or maybe there is some other reason she doesn’t know about but sometimes she still recalls the scene.

Episode 2 - The lost chance to become a model

She took out the book from her big bag and started reading. The bus was almost full. On the second stop a nice looking guy came in and sat next to her. Although she did not stop reading, she could sense his look on her face. The look lasted a long time and she decided to raise her face and look back to see what’s going on.

 Their eyes met and as always when it happens in that city they smiled. It did not mean anything. Simply it was a minimal sign of politeness to smile to the pair of eyes, which looked into your pairs of eyes. The pairs of eyes could belong to someone of the opposite sex, same sex, elder person a child… it didn’t matter. At the end of the day everyone had a decent baggage of different smiles, which made the day brighter. Perfect habit, which she loved. It represented a big contrast from her city, where people’s looks were sad and they looked as if you took money from then and did not return. 

Oh I drifted away, I guess. So their eyes met and they smiled. She noticed for the second time that he was a good looking guy. He had latino looks and sparkling eyes. 

He spoke first. It was French, but with Spanish accent. He was asking for her name. She told and heard his name in return. It appeared that he was a hairdresser, who was opening his private salon and since he found her face to be perfect for his salon’s image he was offering her to agree and pose for his salon’s advertising billboards. They would do different haircuts and shoot her.She would be hanged in different parts of the city.

She was surprised to hear all that and knowing the Spanish guys a bit wasn’t sure that all was exactly the way he explained. Besides, she did not see herself as a model, because she thought that they were mainly stupid. 

Maybe that’s how some famous models started their career and maybe if she said yes her life would take completely different twist, but she said no. The guy tried for few more bus stops, then left his business card knowing that she will never call and left. 

She looked at the card, smiled to herself, thought why her culture rose her too cautious and modest and let the bus take her home. That’s how she lost the chance of becoming a model or at least having a fling with a Spanish guy!

To be continued....