Ava and Salomé

Chiva!
After a good night’s sleep, Ava and Salomé eat breakfast and help Salomé’s mother, Margarita, straighten some things in the house. They play with Jacinto and go for a swim before having lunch and then going on another afternoon adventure.
“Have you ever ridden in a chiva, Ava?” asks Salomé. Ava doesn’t know what a chiva is, but Julie quickly explains that the word chiva means “goat” in Spanish. It’s also the name of a bus that people in Colombia used to ride long ago to go from the countryside to the markets in the city. “Well,” thought Ava, “I’ve never ridden a chiva OR a bus.”
Salomé’s dad, Ricardo, calls the girls for the trip into town and soon they are on their way. When Ava sees the chiva, it’s unlike anything she has ever laid eyes on. And it’s certainly NOT a goat!
Ricardo buys tickets for Ava, Salomé, Julie, Ximena, Esteban, cousins Sofía, Jamie, and Joaquin, and himself, and they all pile onboard. Salsa music is playing and it puts everyone in a happy mood. The bus is painted turquoise, pink, blue, and yellow. There is no glass in the windows and there are no doors. Everything is open, but there are bars to hold onto since there are no seat belts. On top of the bus are bananas, boxes, big bags of coffee and a lot of things Ava’s not sure about. She thinks she hears a rooster crowing! Flowers decorate the driver’s wheel and mirrors, and colorful streamers hang down from all over the bus, looking like a grass skirt. With everyone on board, the driver slowly takes off, music blaring. The bus bounces along the city’s old streets and the streamers blow in the faces of the passengers. The children squeal with delight as people on the street stop what they are doing and look at the funny bus as it passes by. The late afternoon sun and the cool breezes make for a magical outing as the bus cruises through the city. When the ride finally comes to an end, Ava says, “Now THAT was something new!”
Salomé says, “For me, too!” and they laugh and giggle before heading home to practice the Salsa dance.
While Margarita is preparing empanadas, little fried, meat-filled pies served with chimichurri sauce, Ava and Salomé dance the Salsa in the living room. Ava finds the dance easy and fun to do, and she also teaches Salomé a few steps of her own that she dances with her friends. She hopes that when she returns home, she can find someone who likes to dance the Salsa. She and Salomé sleep hard that night after a busy and exhausting day, and Ava wonders what else they could possibly do.