Love and War in the Market

Last week, the day before Thanksgiving, Nicole and I went to the market. We had a few things we needed to pick up and also wanted to get a festive flower arrangement for Thanksgiving.
We ran through the market quickly picking up what we needed then started heading to the back of the market where flowers are sold. To get there, we pass the fruit stands set up on the street. When we walk by people start shouting, "What can I do for you, white girl?" "Do you want a watermelon? Apples?" "We'll give you a good price!" They rush at you with slices of different fruits, clamoring for your attention.
This particular day, Nicole was walking in front of me, chowing down on a quesadilla she had bought, when a young man rushed towards her, shoving a slice of fruit in her face. "Do you want to try this??" She was completely engrossed in her food and kept walking, barely even glancing at him. I was right behind her, however, and saw the whole irritating debacle. I am a little sensitive about people getting in my personal space, and was annoyed that he would act like this to Nicole. It just felt very disrespectful. I immediately had to fight the urge to "tell him off", but when he did the same thing to me, it was more than I could handle.
He was about 3 inches from my face, dangling this slice of whatever it was, when I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "NO!" He looked a little stunned so I quickly added a soft, but frown-filled, "Thank you."
Nicole and I both started walking again as this guy and his friend began to mimic me in a high-pitched voice, "No! ..No. No! ..NO!" They then proceeded to whistle and clap and cause a big scene while we continued our way down the street towards the flower shops.

Eventually we did get some flowers!!

I was annoyed with the young man, but it was also a little bit funny. We did not look back, but we were laughing as we walked to catch a bus back home. We hopped on and I took the window seat, Nicole was on the aisle. As the bus slowly moved forward picking up passengers, the bus came to a complete stop...right in front of that very same fruit stand. The young man saw us and got a big grin on his face. Him and his friend were waving energetically and blowing kisses. Then the one fruit-shoving guy sprinted towards the bus and got in line behind the people waiting to get on. At this point, Nicole and I were squealing, on the verge of panic. I was sure he was going to get on and continue the whistling and carrying-on. The bus was packed out!!! What would we do? Aaaaaah!

Before we could do anything (but freak out!) the young man was standing in front of us, a mischievous look in his eyes. He bowed slightly and pulled two tangerines out from behind his back.

He handed one to me, one to Nicole and said, "Para que ya no se enojen."
"So you won't be mad anymore."

HAHAHAHA!
Oh man, we definitely weren't mad anymore! As soon as he had hopped on, he was sprinting out the back door of the bus. He looked back at us when he got off the bus, and continued to wave and blow kisses until the bus took off.

 
We did not even look around at the other people on the bus.
Who knows what they were thinking!

We laughed all the way home...as we ate our tangerines!! 

~Bethany~