A Chance Meeting On a Valley Metro Bus
It was a Tuesday evening. I had just exited the Valley bus I took from work and was heading for the pickup area for the next Route to catch that will take me home. Having stood there I stared into the night sky. Just recently got paid and just recently went for broke paying bills with the little money I had from my current place of employ. At this point, simply retiring to continue to the processional march of work-sleep-work-sleep while eating in between. As expected of Valley Metro's Transit System, the bus I needed arrived as it would. I entered normally as I always do, swiped my monthly bus pass and took to the earliest seat which was behind the driver at the time. Whether it was God's Will or just the Devil's Luck (it was God's Will, I'm beyond certain), there was a particular person sitting across from me. Their head down, staring with intensity at an e-book (or at least I thought it was an e-book).
The Search for Recognition
There was, at first, the hesitation set within my mind. 'Do I know this person?' a thought surfaces. So as not to intrude by staring daggers for an uncomfortable amount of time, I darted my eyes to gaze the surroundings while watching subtleties in the person's movement. For all I know, it could be my mind playing tricks on me. It was a long day working from the office and I was tired from the transit. As the night pressed on, the bus pulls away from the designated area and the driver carries his charges along the intended route. Meanwhile, my mind was racing as to who the person sitting across from me was. There was no sign of their head even remotely moving up from the e-book; proof that it was a quality work.
The Shift, then Realization
I then came up with a thought; if this IS the person I think it is, I could just send them a text. That way, it wouldn't be an intrusion of privacy since they already know me. I then searched my Contacts, and sure enough, there they were. A simple 'Hey.' was more than enough. Again, I'm simply greeting them without getting too invasive. Yet no response came back. Then it happened. It wasn't until we got onto the intended street that the recognition I long sought after in my mind finally came to light. The person lifted their head, simply partaking their surroundings so as not to feel disoriented. The lightning bolt struck; I know this person! And yet, they did not notice me...at first. A simple guess to this is that they had other things on their mind, but in truth, it was enough to simply see them again. It was years since we last spoke, and they seemed in a good mood so I refrained from speaking up.
The Goodbye
I was now able to ascertain the identity of the close friend on that bus, but then it came time for me to depart. As I get close to my destination, my friend starts focusing more on their surroundings and for a brief instant, our eyes meet. The person still did not know who I was, but I took no offense whatsoever. Again, the mere presence of this friend was a great send off for my day. When I finally was about to disembark after pressing the signal button, the final moment donned upon us both. We met. We smiled. We saw each other off. I left the bus with my usual "Thanks for the lift!" and arrived home as my friend continued on to their final destination.
The Takeaway
Tempus Fugit. Time flies. But with the time we have, take some to cherish the moments in your life. If you haven't got in touch with old friends or co-workers, take the time to do so while you still can. If anything, it would be a great way to reconnect and get acquainted with them from the time apart. It never hurts to make the effort to build lasting friendships.
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