About face (write of passage number forty-six)

The lady doesn't seem at all pleased to see me.

"Don't sit next to me," she snarls.  She's sitting in the first forward-facing seat in the bus, while I've taken the sideways seat just in front of her, in order to help Demeter steady her walker.

The lady snaps a couple more times.  I think she's talking to me; she never actually makes eye contact, so I ignore her.

A family boards, taking a scattering of available seats.  There is a young girl among them; I'd say she's about seven.  She seems to hang back; resisting her family's directions to sit down, she clings to one of the railings.

Snarly snappy lady does a complete about-face.  She begins teasing the young girl and interacting with a purple bird puppet on the child's right hand.

"Does he have a name?  I want to see him fly!  Ow, he's pecking me!"

The girl smiles and relaxes.

So do I.

I guess I just wasn't young enough.

Maybe I needed a puppet.