Marriage Proposal: Honduran Style

I should have taken off the love rocks. Well, the pink rose quartz to be exact. I don’t even know why I was wearing those earrings, I don’t really even like pink that much. But they were only 40 Lempiras and were nicely polished pieces so I picked them up and put them on the morning I went by myself to the bus station.
Maybe I’m just superstitious but I think it’s true. It’s like love potion no. 9…you carry pink rose quartz and loverish events take place. In a Brazilian magazine I once read about the different powers that rocks have, and it said that pink rose quartz is for love. I thought it was silly…but then I noticed that strange things happened when I carried the rock. (oh the rituals we had in Brazil!)
So last week in Honduras when I found a pair of earrings, I picked them up and jokingly mentioned to my sister about the power of the pink rock. Yeah, right!
It was early (8 am) which is really very early when I am on vacation and you know I like to sleep late. I needed a cab to the center of the city at the bus terminal a man said get in, 40 lempiras. That was the cheapest price in a big city and I was excited that it was so cheap, maybe my Spanish was sounding more local…
At first the taxi driver didn’t say anything. Then, out of the blue, he said, “is life hard in the United States? You’re from the US, no?” Well, I said, it depends on who you are... He then told me of his brother’s life in Minnesota, how his mother doesn’t want this man driving a taxi anymore, wants him to go join his brother in the north. Said he needed to save up for a Coyote to make the two week journey. We chatted for moments as the frigid car shocked my skin as we rode in this iced oasis, the thick air of the humid valley preparing for my arrival onto the street. He started looking at me more as he spoke, taking his eyes off of the road, then twisted a digit around a loose strand of my hair. Me caes bien, he said…do you have a boyfriend? A husband? Can I drive you to California? I started laughing, sos chistoso… Miravoz! He kept stealing glances at me, trying to make eye contact and all of a sudden I became so aware of the fact I was sitting in the front seat. This was a cab and why was I not in the back, where my hair was out of reach. Then my driver said, let’s get married. Now, did he really expect me to say yes? Would someone say yes? I should have just said yes, so that he would stop asking me. Hacemos un milagro? No me gustas? No quieres casarte conmigo? Well, I said, it ‘s not that I don’t like you, I just don’t know you. Oh, but why must we know the ones we marry?
Hold that thought, he said, stopping the car – not at my destination – but at a store where he left me in the car to go get change. I was waiting, contemplating making a break for it, but then I saw the keys in the ignition, thought someone might steal the cab (it was a very nice car!) So I waited, and he came back. Then he introduced himself (oh my fiancé told me his name after the engagement, how original) Oscar Antonio handed me a bottle of orange soda. I don’t like orange soda, so no, I am sorry we cannot get married. (But I do like rides to my destination so take me there, por favor.) He then said, so, hacemos un milagro? Well, senor, how about you email me first, lets chat a little bit, then we’ll discuss the details.
Finally arriving at my destination, I scribbled my email on a slip of paper and he then asked that we seal our deal with a kiss. Eh, come on, just a little one on the cheek. Oh those pink rocks…