My husband rides his bike to work almost every day. When it’s raining out, sometimes he takes a bus. These two ladies were on the bus with him. Now here’s their (fabricated) story. Mei and Lin were children in the same town in China. They both moved to Seattle at about the same time and they now live on the same street. They have been friends all this time. It is wonderful to have a friend that speaks your dialect and shares your memories. There was a 3rd woman from their town, Shaoqin, who also moved to Seattle. Shaoqin was from a formerly wealthy family and put on airs. Mei and Lin couldn’t stand the woman, and her children grew up with the same attitude.
That day while they were on the bus, it suddenly started to rain. As the bus pulled in to the intersection of 12th and Jackson, Mei and Lin saw Shaoquin’s daughter; running in the sudden downpour. As usual, she had on too much make up. The makeup was running down her face. This spectacle transfixed the two women, and as a result they missed their bus stop.