Polly Takes the Bus

The bus arrived painted the color of an old postcard, and at the wheel sat a capybara with the calm of someone who has driven the same loop for years and still likes it. "Does this bus go downtown? I need the main square." The capybara nodded so slowly that the nod itself was reassuring, and the doors folded open like an invitation.

Autobus dolazi obojen bojom stare razglednice, a za volanom sjedi kapibara sa smirenošću nekoga tko istu rutu vozi već godinama i još uvijek u tome uživa. „Ide li ovaj autobus u centar? Trebam glavni trg.” Kapibara kima tako polako da već i samo kimanje umiruje, a vrata se otvaraju poput poziva.

"One ticket, please. It is my first time on this line." First times were the capybara's specialty. "How much is it? I only have coins today." The coins were counted into the tray one by one while the bus waited without a single impatient sound. Polly chose a window seat and watched the neighborhood reorganize itself: the market from rung to rung, the corner cafe, the fountain where everyone turns wrong.

„Jednu kartu, molim. Prvi put idem ovom linijom.” Prvi put je kapibarina specijalnost. „Koliko košta? Danas imam samo kovanice.” Kovanice padaju u posudicu jedna po jedna, a autobus čeka bez ijednog nestrpljivog zvuka. Polly bira mjesto uz prozor i gleda kako se kvart sam slaže: tržnica, ugaoni kafić, fontana na kojoj svi skrenu na krivu stranu.

"Where do I get off for the main square?" A wing was already hovering over the red button when the capybara tilted an ear backward. "The next stop! Perfect, I am on my way to the door." The square appeared, wide and full of pigeons with opinions. "Thank you for your patience! See you later!" The doors folded shut, the postcard rolled on, and Polly stood in the middle of the new city feeling, for the first time, like someone who knew the way home.

„Gdje izlazim za glavni trg?” Krilo već lebdi iznad crvenog gumba kad kapibara nagne uho unatrag. „Sljedeća stanica! Odlično, već idem prema vratima.” Trg se pojavljuje, širok i pun golubova s mišljenjem. „Hvala na strpljenju! Vidimo se!” Vrata se zatvaraju, razglednica nastavlja dalje, a Polly stoji nasred novoga grada i prvi put ima osjećaj da zna put kući.