The Child After The Storm

(A bunch of young men are talking loudly in the bus and using a lot of expletives. They’re also with a female passenger who is apparently their friend and is black.)

Young Male Passenger #1: “Yeah, she’s such a f***ing b****.”

Young Male Passenger #2: “Because she’s a black c***!”

Young Female Passenger: “What?!”

Young Male Passenger #1: “Yeah!”

Young Male Passenger #2: “You black c***s can be f***ing—”

(At this moment, a boy of around age 7 gets on the bus. Hearing the rude conversation, the child immediately makes his way to the back of the bus and stands right in the middle of this group, as if challenging them to continue talking.)

Loud group: *stays completely silent for 5 seconds*

Young Male Passenger #1: “…Okay, never mind.”

Young Male Passenger #2: “Um… I meant… you black ladies are… pretty crazy. Yeah. Pretty crazy at times.”

(They stopped using offensive language after that, at least until the young boy’s parents called him back to sit with them!)