3 Amigos on a Bench

Them: You’re leaving?
Me: Yes
Them: Do you want to take our picture?
Me: Sure; thanks! What are your names?
Pimto.
Manlio.
Fred.
Me: Fred? How did you get Fred?
Fred: It’s short for Walfrido.
Me: Ah. Are you Cuban? I had a friend named Walkiria and her brother’s name was also Walfrido.
Fred: No. I’m from Puerto Rico. Manlio is from Honduras and Pimto is from Ecuador.

Me: How did you three come together?
Fred: I just met Pimto yesterday.
Pimto: But me and Manlio have been friends for a long time.
Me: And here you are sitting like you’ve all been friends for life!

They asked me to return the next night with printed copies of the photo. None of them have email or internet. I agreed but when I got home the next night, the sofa claimed me instead.

Two nights after I met Los Tres Amigos, I headed to the park after work to try to shoot some birds in flight for the weekly photo challenge I participate in. That was my goal. I saw Manlio as soon as I entered the park and walked over to him. Before I could say a word, he asked, “Where were you? We were here 8, 9, 10 [the evening before]. My friends not live here. Pimto took taxi from Bronx.”

I felt bad. Fred had mentioned that he lives in Nevada, but I thought he meant past tense.

Manlio asked me to take another picture of him. I told him I’d come back after I did some nature shots over the pond.

Even though he asked for it, I still managed to get a candid.

When I returned, his two friends were with him. I was able to apologize to them directly for not returning the night before and add their closeups to the collection as well.

 

I love the way they photograph! Such character in their faces.