she got on about three stops after I did br I was sure she was conversant in ballet br by the way she danced up the steps br and delicately deposited her passage br into the device next to the driver br br her fingers were disproportionately br long and far too elegant for br such tiny hands br br her nails were ornately painted br with purple flowers on a white back lay br she must have been very ambidextrous as br each tiny fingernail looked exactly alike br br it was winter and there was about br 18 inches of snow in the lanes br she wore white rubber boots br the bus wore its annual tire chains. br br I was dressed in my traditional white tennis shoes, br weathered blue jeans a white Eddie Bauer T br and my socks were soaking wet br from trying to dodge the slush br near the bus stops br br she was enveloped in a long br camel-hair pea coat br and, crazy as it sounds br a feather hat much like br Robin Hood used to wear br br I thought I would depart before her br as she asked for a transfer br br like a novice-carom-billiard player br I almost fell flat on my backside br when the bus shot off br before I could grab the overhead rail br as I lent her my seat br br the bus was lousy br with swing shift laborers br headed to the fish packing plants br I one of them br br pangs of passion br swelled deep in my heart br br and seeped through every pore br I wanted to hold her in my arms br and love her, nothing more.