A stranger I can't push out of my mind
By vanny
@vandana7 (100300)
India
October 12, 2015 4:04pm CST
I was traveling back from LIC office, with a few new year calendars in my hand.
They are given to policy holders.
And I bought a few fruits on the way. I climbed this bus. This lady got in the bus and she was extra kind to me.
She was older of course. But extraordinarily nice to me. We were strangers.
Everybody in the bus noticed her affectionate gestures. She was almost treating me like her daughter. She pulled me towards her and made me sit by her side. Those who have traveled in buses here would know that finding a seat is not easy. But she captured one for herself and another for me.
I was trying to recall, do I know her? Am I failing to recognize her? Oh my god, who is she?
Anyway, after a couple of stops, she got down.
No, she didn't pick anything from my purse. Nor fruits. Or calendars.
She even bid goodbye to me.
For a long time I have thought of her. Was she depressed? Did I resemble somebody she loved? Did she do something drastic? What should I have done? What could I have done?
Funny, the entire encounter may have lasted not more than 15 minutes of my life, but I remember it even today. This happened more than 10 years ago.
12 people like this
10 responses
@Marilynda1225 (82793)
• United States
13 Oct 15
Sometimes the unexpected kindness of strangers can last forever
3 people like this
@RasmaSandra (79929)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Oct 15
@vandana7 I could be that you reminded her of someone she really loved like a daughter or granddaughter. She might of had some senility and perhaps really thought you were someone she knew. Great that you were so kind to her.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100300)
• India
13 Oct 15
@RasmaSandra ..For starters, she was the one who was kind to me, not the other way round. I was just being polite because she could, for all that I knew, turn out to be some relative or friend I was not recognizing. But had she been relative or friend, she would have inquired about papa or other friends or relatives. None of that happened. So I may have served as a reminder alright. But it was more than a normal bit of affection, that overwhelmed me. I had her in my prayers that night alright. And many times after that.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
13 Oct 15
Hmm maybe she was an angel in disguise for you Vandy.
It sounds very significant in your life to me, that you recall it to this day.
It is lovely to know and I wonder if she still lives?
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
14 Oct 15
@vandana7 Yes you would not know but I know you would love to tell her that she played an important person in your life..she would be so happy to know it too.
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
13 Oct 15
Some encounters with strangers can be really memorable. It reminds of the time when I was on a ferry once and this very friendly old lady came up and started a long conversation with me like we had known each other forever.
2 people like this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
12 Oct 15
There are people in this world who can be that nice. You can imagine 10 years ago but she managed to make a positive impact on you which you have never forgotten. How i wish we have many of those in this world
2 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
13 Oct 15
I would say that she was a caring lady. I do have a few good experiences too wherein I helped without any interests or even for the sake of helping, they came naturally to me.
For instance, a few weeks ago, at the mall at the other side of the road, there was a lady whose packet fell down and all the fruits and veggies were scattered. I did not have anything on my mind, when I started collecting them for her and fetching her a new packet. It came naturally to me.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
13 Oct 15
She was probably just being nice - some moments can stick in our minds and keep popping back at us like ghosts.
