Marta Franco

Meeting people often is dependent upon one or two smaller choices. As in, I had made the choice earlier in the week to go for a walk with Flor at 2pm on Thursday. I meet with Noemi every Thursday morning, in the middle of the city, at 11am. I always walk to the city, but sometimes, especially if you need to be back by 2, it's better to take the bus back.

The bus stop I'm best acquainted with for where I am on Thursday mornings has a bad reputation. I used to have to cook for 7, and had chosen to meet with Noemi on the same morning as the designated cook day at that time. The agony of waiting for that E4 had become intolerable--I was so thankful to have more time to get back home when we switched days.

Sure enough, the bus didn't come. I was alone at the stop for awhile, and was contemplating walking just a little bit further, to Nuevo Centro, to wait at the stop in which 3 buses that I could take home make a stop. "No, I will wait," I told myself.

The line slowly accumulated. I paid more attention to the kids across the street, waiting to go home from morning classes. Two boys started chasing each other. One fell and it caused the other to trip up too. Both were laughing furiously, and I joined them, thinking I had just witnessed a miniature version of something straight from the Three Stooges.

"I don't know what gets into boys to act that way," said the woman next to me.

I just laughed some more. "Boys will be boys."

She was not accustom to the irregularity of the E4 stopping where we were, and I could see her growing impatient. Bus after bus passed, but never the one we needed. I explained the inconstancy, but we were also noticing (the "we" now including the much larger line) that all of the buses were packed to the max. An E4 finally came, but refused to stop as it was too full.

She asked me where I was going as I had begun thinking about giving up and walking home after all. Maybe even just going to a place where it was easier to pick up a taxi (when I despise taking taxis if I can help it). I explained the approximate location and she said that she lived close. Just a few blocks earlier than where I get off. She invited me to take a cab, even willing to pay for the half that led to her house, and I would pay for the shorter trip onward to my humble abode.

Of course, then came the question of where I was from, as she could tell from my accent that I wasn't from Argentina. Completely lost in this conversation, another 15 minutes passed with no bus (nor taxi), but what seemed to be a budding friendship.

She is a student from the school of languages, studying French. She has four children, one girl who is my age. She is a Christian, with missionary friends from other countries.

Before I knew it, we continued the conversation on a very empty E4 that was taking an unusual route through the city. We exchanged information with an open invitation to her house to meet everyone.

When I got home, Flor called to say that she couldn't go for a walk today. Translation, I could have walked home any way.