It's the Little Things...

In this case, when I say "the little things" I mean three small Mexican children with nothing better to do on a saturday night than ride on my bus of two and half hours. 

Picture this, a slow night, an empty bus, a weary bus driver with roughly three hours of work left. 

Enter Yara, Jelena and Jose. 

Yara: A typical looking 12 year old girl with muddy shoes. Quiet, quick to smile, and prone to giggle fits.

Jose: The tag-a-long to two girls older than him. Glasses, hoody, and refuses to tell me how old he really is so he can, as he says, "impress da ladies."

Jelena: Ring-leader. Sassy. "I'm 14, my boyfriend is 16 but he didn't get me anything good for my birthday so I'm going to dump him." Sassy. Prone to start yelling in Spanish when heated. A miniature version of the stereotypical Latina Grandmother.  

I recognized them because they always get on the bus at the same spot and get off a block later. When they didn't get off at the usual spot I looked back at them and asked,

Me: "Don't you usually get off here?"

Jelena: "We're bored. Who are you?"

Me: "The bus driver."

Yara: *giggles

Jelena: "That is NOT your real name, my name is either Jelena or Yara. GUESS!"

Me: "You're Jelena and that is Yara. And I have no idea who that kid is."

Yara: *giggles "How'd you know!?"

Jose: "He's the bus driver... they KNOW things."

Jelena: *glares at Jose and strings off a loud rambling of Spanish

Yara: "I'm Yara. That's Jose. How are you?"

Me: "It's been a good day."

Yara: "Are we annoying?"

Me: "I've had worse."

Yara: *giggle fit

For the next hour or so it was much of the same conversation "are we annoying?" "No" 

After a lap or two I had to go to the bathroom and I came back to find Yara sitting in the driver seat and giggling uncontrollably. Apparently driver seats are hilarious. 

Later...

Jelena: "So are you happy?"

Me: "What do you mean? Right now? Yes. I'm happy. I like driving things."

Jelena: "No, I mean in life. Do you have a girlfriend? Do you drink beer? What's your favorite food?"

Me: "Yes. Yes. Anything on a stick."

Jose: "I love shishkabobs!!!" 

Me: "This guy knows what I'm talking about!"

Jelena: "Boys are so dumb!" *Spanish gibberish

Yara: *literally rolling on the floor laughing

So much more happened that night, I wish I could remember it all. But I definitely made three new friends, and even if they still only know me as "Mr. Bus Driver" it did make me smile. Especially at the end of the ordeal when they said that I was their favorite bus driver :)