To illustrate this story, I have used a photo taken by
A man enters the bus, carrying a huge load of neatly organized little plastic pouches of candies, cookies, and chewing gum. He walks toward the bus driver (entering from the back), gives him some money, turns around, hangs up his portable shop, and starts his speech. It entails something along the lines of that he could be stealing, killing, and doing drugs, but instead he sells candy. Then he quickly explains all the mentos flavors he has and how much they cost, and that there's something for everyone. He talks fast, almost like an auctioneer. Probably because he's not allowed to ride with us very long.
People start waving and calling on him, and telling him what they want. Within a matter of minutes the majority of this bus has purchased something off of this guy and it soon sounds like a movie theater with all the crackling plastic pouches.
Within about three stops the bus driver is getting anxious and tells the guy several times that it's time to get off. But, he's still hustling. He needs to get everything he can out of this trip. He paid some fare after all. He does pick up shop and starts walking to the back of the bus while trying to keep his balance. People still decide to purchase so every now and then he hangs up his goods on the railing. I see the bus driver looking in the rear view mirror more and more agitated. Every now and then verbally spurring the candy salesmen that he has got to go. Finally, our hustler feels that everyone who wanted to buy bought. It's time to get off. He did good business. With lots of different colored bills (mainly bills of 2 reais), he departs. Good business for this man! Indeed, he could be killing, dealing, or stealing; instead, he's selling.
Pfew, I almost feel out of breath with this whole spectacle. The bus driver's semi peace returns, the bus continues through the busy traffic, and I look out the window at all the pedestrians who do whatever they do, as I listen to the "fizzling" little plastic pouches while I sometimes look on my google maps tracker (which is the only thing that works w/o wifi on my iPhone) to check how far along we are by now...
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