Life Clichés (15) : Lost & Found

It was late that evening when I was sprinting towards the only familiar bus stop I knew in the peninsula. I took a couple of stairs down to wait for my bus to come. I checked the schedule thanks to the public WiFi and it said that it should arrive in 5 minutes.

- I was supposed to catch the 21:40 one -

30 minutes later, I was tired of standing, it was getting late and my bus hasn't showed up yet. I perceive one of the shopkeepers glance at me, I act indifferent and turn my face the other way. Of course I was scared, and I started regretting my urge to go shopping that day, even for very basic necessities. 

My mind was trying to reassure me and comfort me that the worst scenario would be to book a room and spend the night in the peninsula and go home the next morning. I was exhausted and my feet swollen, and that seemed like a worthy plan. But then again I thought to myself, why didn't you rent a car? You could have already been home or on your way, and yet when I visually recalled the crowded highway where everyone was driving everywhere except on the right I talked myself out of blame.

A good 50 minutes went by, and as much as I knew I was the strong independent woman, I still felt that I was on the verge of crying out my exhaustion. Suddenly I saw the same shopkeeper noticing my anxiety walking towards me and gesturing to me (we didn't share the same language) what I understood as him asking me about where I was heading. Using my hands, I tried to communicate my bus number, and noticing his surprise, he uttered a few words that to me seemed to be saying that I have been waiting on the wrong side of the road, that I should cross to the other side, IMMEDIATELY.

What happens next reveals a lot about one of my traits: stubbornness. I retorted back that I took the bus from this side before and I'm not sure he was right. Yes, I just said that to a local, who was trying to help me in that late evening. He could have just ignored me anyway, and went back to his shop - but as he tried to make sense of my odious answer, he gestured to me that he was here for many years and that I'd rather listen and cross - IMMEDIATELY. 

I looked at the other side, in fact, it was alarmingly similar to where I'm standing and I might have been wrong after all (yes dear reader, you can laugh at my audacity, I did too). I ran up the stairs, and on the main road asked the first person I saw if they knew where the bus stop is. Because of course, once stubborn, always stubborn. The man wasn't sure neither, and I knew my best bet was to listen to the old shopkeeper and cross - IMMEDIATELY.

A few seconds later, I was on the other side panting and asked again if this was the right place where I should be waiting. And again no one was sure, but as I was looking sideways at the shops I noticed a shopkeeper I remembered from the last time and knew I was in the right place.

I raised my head to notice the old shopkeeper looking for me, I waved at him reassuringly he waved back hesitantly. A few minutes go by, and I see him again emerging and looking for me when he saw me he gestured that I should have taken the bus that just passed and was alarmed and concerned. I again gestured back the number of my bus. When I saw my bus approaching I looked for him and in hopes that he would understand how I am deeply grateful to him I shouted "Thank You!"

- I managed to snap a blurry picture for the memory, as for his face I will never forget it -

It is in these random acts of kindness, when another human lends you a helping hand genuinely and accepts your struggle are theirs that I see how grand and beautiful humanity is. The potential we have to cultivate love for one another is immense that anything else looks trivial. I live still by Dostoevsky's words: "What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love."

P.S: I made it home by 1 a.m, and needless to say that Eko was still at the door waiting for me.