this bus goes all the way

"thing about that bus is you can ride it all day. all day. are you planning on riding it all day? or how far? where you goin?"

"goin' home, man."

"does this bus take you home?"

"this bus take me home, man. where you live?"

"why yes i do. yes i do. i've done it many times. you can ride it all the way. i've done it."

the black kid with the red hat and the sly, pretty smile looked straight ahead as he waited for the 21. he had just finished his shift at the place across the street and he smelled like bacon and syrup, burnt toast and sweat. this afternoon was all his and he couldn't wait to get to it but in the meantime he found himself standing solidly in the middle of a transient friendship that would last about another 45 seconds.

"i stand here and wait a lot. unless the bus comes. it goes all the way. god oh man, i've seen it. i've done it. it goes all ---- the ---- way!"

he was tiny and clean with a warm hat and black track suit, white sneakers and a pack of merits. his whiskers were grey and neatly trimmed and he started bouncing lightly from foot to foot to foot to foot and said

"it's a good thing. it's a good thing. like when you do a jig! dance! dance! it's just like that!" he tapped and bounced and was fumbling to light a cigarette when the bus came.

"peace, dude." the kid climbed on and the bus headed south.

he blew smoke out his nose and said

"i knew it would do that."