In addition to a smooth and economical ride, Honduran busses often provide unexpected entertainment: preachers giving sermons about the end times, salespeople pitching various skin creams and magical pills that cure everything from earaches to cancer, and, my personal favorite, clowns.
Yesterday on my way home from work with one of my co-workers, Deily, we treated to an act by a very cute, very young clown couple. It was probably the best clown act I had ever seen on a bus, due to their genuineness. This wasn’t just a sad way to make money by telling crude jokes about women and mothers-in-law, as most clown acts are. They really took their art seriously. And the rest of the bus really found it hilarious when they used the gringo—me—as their volunteer.
It went something like this, with the actors being Boy Clown, Girl Clown, Gringo, and Deily:
Boy clown: *Something about what would happen if all the women on earth suddenly died. Morbid, but fodder for a good clown act.*
Girl Clown: But if all the women on the earth died, you men would be in big trouble. Who would cook for you?
BC: Not a problem at all. Look. Hey, gentleman standing there. (Points at gringo.)
Gringo: (Turns to Deily.) Uh-oh.
BC: Gentleman, can you cook?
G: Uh, yes.
BC: See, Girl Clown? He can cook. Problem solved. He’ll cook for me, and I’ll cook for him.
GC: Ah, but who would wash your clothes?
BC: Not a problem at all, Girl Clown! Gentleman, gentleman. Can you wash clothes?
G: (Face red, trying not to notice that everyone is staring and laughing at him.) Yes.
BC: See, Girl Clown? He’ll wash for me, and I’ll wash for him.
GC: Ok, Boy Clown. But I know one thing that you can’t do. Who will have babies?
BC: Gentleman, gentleman. Can you have babies?
Deily: (Jabbing Gringo in the back.) Tell him no, Andrés! Tell him no!
G: (Wags finger at Boy Clown.) No.
BC: Some punch line that couldn’t be heard as entire bus was laughing at the gringo who can cook, wash clothes, but can’t have babies.
Good stuff. So good that I gave them 10 lempiras. It was probably worth at least 12.
3 comments:
"...as most clown acts are"
Awesome that you are able to use this phrase in a sentence.
Andrew - I am laughing out loud at this one! And at first, I was surprised that there were magical pills that cured clowns.
So nice to have some levity in your day. Clowns to the rescue! :)
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