The Girl in the Bus, I Still Remember You

In 2019, the day in Quetzaltenango was scorching, but the mood was breezy, and I, for once, was looking for the bus to travel to Guatemala City.

My group of friends had already left to go to Tikal to visit the famous Mayan temples, but I stayed behind in Quetzaltenango because of maddening food poisoning.

I remember the cause of it: an avocado taco that I had at the market.

The few days that I spent alone in a homestay where I did not speak the language or know anyone were terrifying. The things that kept me alive were the new episodes of 'You' on Netflix and frolicking mindless chickens in the backyard.

"Take, eat," the kind Guatemalan woman said to me as she shared a piece of watermelon while her young daughter devoured another slice of the watermelon.

With hand gestures, she asked me what was wrong.

And with hand gestures I responded to her that I have a bad tummy because of a taco

And just like that, with her eyes and her frown, she told to me that she is sorry about this and she hopes that I feel better

That day while taking the bus, I was nervous and a little desperate to return to Switzerland. I wanted to be reunited with my group of friends and be comfortable again. However, the bus ride was going to be a little long so I braced myself for it because I did not have an internet connection.

Till you came along and sat next to me

I smiled and you smiled back at me

I had been starving for a conversation, and you looked quite friendly (I was a mad admirer of the way you paired your lip gloss and eyeliner).

"Are you also going to Guatemala City?" I ask, breaking my speaking fast with an absurd question because the bus was indeed going from Quetzaltenango to Guatemala City

"Um, yes, Español?" you replied.

I imaginarily facepalmed myself knowing that I don't speak any Spanish and you don't speak any English and because you are sitting next to me I have made this journey more awkward than it can ever be for the next 3 hours

"Ummm, aquí," you said as you took out your phone and started typing in the Google Translator. I was impressed by your ingenuity. Thus began our 3-hour conversation with Google Translator until Guatemala City.

"I thought you were American" you said and google translated

"Me? Nope hahaha" I responded in google and with my body language

You told me your plans in life and I listened to it all, for the first time I had less to say about myself

"My family is very strict and they don't let me go out alot" you said, "Um, why?" I asked while relating to the narrative over protective parents but this was not about me.

"So I am going to go to Guatemala city and work in a hotel. My boyfriend lives there too" you said excitedly

"And you?" you turned towards me

"Well, I will just finish my Master's then, but no boyfriend waiting for me," I joked, and you laughed while we spent the next few hours Google translating our lives and spilling it out to a stranger on the bus. I knew that we would never see each other again, which made it sad and beautiful.

"Well, good luck with the hotel job and with your boyfriend," I exclaimed as our bus pulled into Guatemala City. "Thanks, you too. It was really nice to talk to you." You stood up and took your bag from the overhead space while smiling.

"Bye" we said and waved in unison as you de-boarded and I stayed in the bus for it to drive to the airport in Guatemala city.

I never Google translated my life to someone ever before, and that you stayed, talked, and shared your story for 3 hours was magical. I remember the bus driving through the arid regions of Guatemala and us being engrossed in conversation. You in your black & white top and me with my curiosity: we made it work.

The girl in the bus: I still think of you and your hotel job.

Did you get what you wanted out of life?

Did you get your the freedom that you had in mind?

Did the boy you moved for turned out to be what you wanted in life?

Do you ever think about me and smile?

Because you were astonishing, I will always be astonished by you, and so, I will always think about you.