Battle of the wall, day two

Feeling encouraged from Monday’s scrimmage, I set my chair out, centering it on our window. This window has served as a trash can, not that the problem is unique to our house. I remember being bemused the first time I saw a sign proclaiming “¡ Esto es una ventana! ¡no un basurero!”, This is a window! Not a trash can! My position is carefully chosen to be far enough away from the corner that I won’t have anyone running into me as they quickly turn the corner.

From my reading and life experience, I know that it takes 30 days to make a habit. I hope that it won’t take so long but I am prepared to sit out there every night for a month. My timing is also based on the fact that Semana Santa is about a month way. Lent started last Wednesday, which means the kids get a short break soon. When they return I will know if my plan worked by where they choose to wait for the bus.

Tueday night went well. A group of four boys bought snacks from the beer store across the street but chose to sit on the curb kitty corner to my house instead of on my windowsill. Another group hung out in the light of the beer store, rather than crossing to our house.

I finally got an answer to why some of the kids don’t get on the first bus that arrives. There is only one route that passes my house but there are two companies. One company honors the cititour passes, the other doesn’t. The possession of a cititour card grants students and seniors a fifty percent discount on the six pesos fare. Some of the kids like to hang out and visit with their friends, others are waiting for the cheaper bus ride.

While I sat and read, my neighbors passed by and greeted me. To some I announced that I was sitting there because I was tired of painting my wall. The manager of the beer store thinks my plan is brilliant. Mexicans understand passive aggressive.

The too much pda couple didn’t come back, most of the kids waited across the street before crossing to board their bus. The last to leave was the quartet snacking in front of the closed shop diagonally across. They caught the bus on the opposite corner to our house, I felt triumphant.

One pretty lass, smiled at me and said “Hasta luego” as she boarded, I returned a happy “Hasta luego” to her too.