The main avenue of the city is very busy. It is almost one o'clock in the afternoon and there are many people leaving their jobs to have lunch.
In the square, the benches are busy and Maritza can't find a place to sit down to eat. This upsets her a little, she barely has an hour to do so.
A woman gets up with difficulty from one of the benches, and she takes the opportunity to approach before someone else arrives. As she sits down, she notices a piece of paper with the number 32 written on it in red ink.
Maritza tries to look for the person with her eyes, but does not see her. She is lost in the crowd. Maybe it doesn't matter, she thinks as she hurriedly eats her ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise and a lettuce leaf that her mother has prepared for her.
Arriving home after six in the evening, she opens the door and the smell of her mother's latte draws her straight into the kitchen.
"Hi mommy" says to her as she hugs her and asks for her blessing.
"Hello my girl! How was work today? I imagine you are tired. Come sit here and have some coffee and a piece of carrot cake I made this afternoon"
"Mother, your hands are magic. This is the best medicine for tiredness". He tells her as he looks at her beautiful face with some wrinkles furrowing her forehead and her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her name Nayeli, which means I love you, is of Apache origin.
Maritza and her mother have lived alone since her father died. Between the two of them, they support each other and get along very well, although Nayeli always reminds her daughter to look for a companion.
"Woman and man complement each other as a single unit. Somewhere out there is your soul mate. You must find it."
"Mother, for now I am very well with my soul. And the truth is, I don't know where to look for it. I leave it to destiny".
Her mother laughed when she answered that way. "Destiny will surprise you at some point, when you least expect it. You will get the signs, don't let them pass you by".
The next day, Maritza leaves her house late and arrives at the bus stop to go to work. A bus stops in front of her, and she notices that it has the number 32 on it.
"Strange, the same number as yesterday. Well, it must be a coincidence. She should play it in the lottery, maybe she won". But she dismissed the idea because she didn't like gambling.
When she gets on the bus she feels a little strange as if something unusual is going to happen and when she realizes that the bus follows another route, she is alarmed.
"Mr. Driver, doesn't this bus go through Los Caobos Avenue?"
"Yes it does, but this route is longer and goes through the suburbs".
"I'm going to be late for work".
"Don't worry, it's only a half hour difference. Relax and enjoy the ride".
Maritza sees the driver's face in the rearview mirror and realizes that the man has winked at her.
"This man is a passerby", so she turns to look out the window to avoid giving him any more importance.
Route 32 passes through the poorest neighborhoods and Maritza sees the little houses with tile roofs and in their yards children playing and mothers washing clothes.
Suddenly she feels an impulse and shouts to the drive
"Stop the bus!"
"But what's wrong, miss", and he steps on the brake. The tires screech on the pavement. The few passengers scream in fright.
Maritza and the driver behind they get off the bus. Inches from the wheels, a ball of black and brown hair was shaking. On the sidewalk, the group of children who had run after the cat had stopped in amazement.
"The cat is yours"
"It's not ours, we were just chasing it".
Maritza bent down and took him in her arms, and at that moment he showed his green eyes.
I'll take him," she said to the children.
On the bus, some of the passengers were whispering.
"All this fuss over a cat".
"And now we're going to be late for work and what excuse am I going to say, that the bus I was on ran over a cat. They won't believe me".
Maritza thought how insensitive some people could be, but she smiled when the driver told her.
"You saved that kitten from dying. Good thing you took this route". And he winked again.
In the evening when Maritza arrived home she went to find her mother in the kitchen.
"Mother! I have a special guest for you"
Her mother turns excitedly and looks at the speck of green-eyed hair.
You were right about fate. It made it possible for us to meet.
"Daughter this kitty is adorable, and they are funny and loving companions, but I was expecting something different".
"One step at a time, dear mom. One door opens another door. That's what you told me".
Thank you so much for reading my entry The Ink Well Prompt #99
