I woke up in a place called Salinas where i moved to the seats with the faced out table.

seating was tight but luckily i snagged a good pair of empty chairs.

I watched the girl as she hugged the man next to her.

she walked through the bus nervous, i told her to sit next to me.

i’d rather her than the old man before her or the cholo after her.

i wanted to ask her about her relationship with that man

but she seemed reserved as we pulled out onto Stone Street past the Holy Mary Church

“yo estoy en los estados unidos” it read.

i figured perhaps she didn’t speak much english.

i wondered where her final destination was and for how long she will be missed

how long will she be thinking about that man

i wondered how they met; and as we passed all the used auto sale lots, i decided to keep her story a mystery.

Salinas- an industrial city in the buttfuck of nowhere was her love story

i just saved her a seat.