Along the Way

Have you ever wondered about the people you meet every day but don’t really look closely at? Whether it’s on the street, in your car, at your office or just as you go about doing your normal things, we meet so many different people, living their lives as we continue to live ours.

These are nameless people who we encounter while doing the most ordinary thing like go to the store or walk home or even go down in the lift. These aren’t people we know and we probably never will. But you even wonder what their purpose is in life, why we meet them, or if that’s ever supposed to mean anything to us?

I believe that in some weird cosmic, other worldly way, we were all supposed to be in that place at that particular time. Sometimes yeah in a final destination sort of way, if one little thing does add up and we are missing one piece of the puzzle then who knows what’s going to happen and what would’ve happened to us. This is some weird shit but somehow we are all linked through six degrees of separation like is often said.

Yeah I get it not all would believe we encounter certain people in life for a reason unknown to us. And well, looking back, I’d be right up there next to the non-believers saying what a load of crock. But sometimes, we are exactly where we are meant to be for a reason. Most of the time we don’t know this reason it maybe in some way we have affected someone else’s’ life and we don’t even know we’ve done it.

Maybe there is a bigger plan for a us all and we aren’t just going through the motions of life but we are meant to do what we are doing face what we have and live the way we do for somewhere down the line it will all make sense. But once in a blue moon we find that one good thing that makes us sit back and think, that makes us really look at our lives.

I was struck by one such person and this is my story.

I was in the train on my way to college like I used to do every day. Not a thing was different, I got out of my house the same time as always, took the same train and climbed the same compartment as always. As was custom for me I stood at the far edge of the compartment right next to the door so I could enjoy the breeze as the train moved. I liked this journey because it usually helped me to not think for a while.

I was having a tough life at that time as most college students do; starting out in a strange place, not knowing many people, having tiffs with roommates’ and basically surviving on cup noodles. Life was hard but for once I was proud of myself for being responsible for my own self.

Anyway, getting back, so there I was standing by my lonesome self, watching the stations roll by not really seeing and not really thinking when I noticed an old lady standing at the other end of the door. She was the old grandmotherly type and immediately I liked her. I didn’t introduce myself, nor did I attempt any other form of conversation because I am a shy person. I’m not a really outspoken person at and I’m usually afraid to make the first move. I think when my parents said don’t talk to stranger I took that to heart.

So, I stood there and continued looking out but as I glanced at her, I noticed that she had something in her hair. I figured since she was at the edge like me something must have flown into her hair. I didn’t know whether to tell her about it or just let it go. I was a bit embarrassed and also a bit shy to actually tell her. So I kept quiet for a while. Try as I might I just couldn’t seem to let it go. I kept glancing over at her and I noticed she had a rosary in her hand. Then looking at the rosary I thought, maybe a better person wouldn’t be self-conscious about it and just speak out I mean it wasn’t as of I was confessing to murder or anything like that. I finally gathered whatever little courage I had and spoke out.

“Excuse me, you have something in your hair” I said smiling because I’d probably embarrassed her. Out of all the things in the world is not expected what she said next.

“Oh no, don’t worry, it’s my Holy picture” She said. I was taken aback because I didn’t know what she was talking about; I mean who would do that right? She bent lower and I saw clearly for the first time that it was a picture of Jesus and she had pinned it to her hair.

She looked at me and smiled maybe because I looked so confused and said “I have a very bad headache”. Now, I don’t clearly remember whether she had said headache or something more serious like a tumor but I know that in that one moment I felt very horrible for her because I knew she was in pain. I know a mere headache wouldn’t cause me to feel that bad for her. I looked at her face and I saw the truth there and also acceptance.

“I’ve tried all medicines buy nothing works anymore and since I’m old it doesn’t matter, my time is coming and one day we all have to go na?” she said sweetly.

“Don’t say that something will work out you” I said optimistically, I know I barely knew her but I didn’t have it in my heart to just nod and let it go.

She smiled at me again “Even my children say the same thing. I’ve lived a long happy and healthy life and I have no regrets. You should take care of your health too, nowadays it is becoming so hard to do that with all these outside foods so you must be careful” She said.

I just nodded and smiled at her I didn’t want to point out that all we ate was take out and tinned and preserved stuff.

“You must eat breakfast every day and also fresh fruits, and avoid those fizzy drinks they are not good for bones, and you children are still young, you have a long way to go before you reach my age. How old are you?” she asked me.

“I’m twenty” I said

“ahh.. You’re going to college?” She asked me.

“Yes, at Lower Parel” I answered.

“And you live with your family?” she asked again

“No, my family is abroad, I live with roommates” I said

“Oh that’s nice” she smiled.

The rest of the journeys she spoke more of her kids and how they always take care of her and how they insisted that they take her around but she didn’t want to trouble them so she came out on her own. She said that they didn’t want her doing anything but she wanted to do these little things when she still could.

We spoke a little more and I was feeling so overwhelmed by her. She reminded me of all things good and pure. Almost too soon her stop came and she said “this is my stop, it was nice meeting you. I hope God blesses you sweet child “She said

“Thank you aunty, I hope you get well,” I said and watched as she climbed down from the train as it rolled to a complete halt.

As I watched her walk up the stairway to the station, tears filled my eyes and the most ridiculous thing was I had no idea why.

She seemed like such a genuine and sincere person and so open to life and everything in it. I tried to think of how much I’d cry and whine if I’d undergone even a sliver of her pain. In that moment my admiration for her grew tenfold. I didn’t know what it was about her but I knew I’d always have that respect for her. I hoped that one day id see her again and be able to help her in some way. There was no way I could but I hoped that I could somehow.

I thought about our meeting all day and I went home and spoke to my friend about it. She then pointed one important thing. She asked me why I didn’t take her number or give her my phone number as a ‘just-in-case she ever needed anything’. I mentally kicked myself for having never considered that. I felt bad then thinking that maybe if I’d done that I could’ve helped her in some way.

The meeting with her touched my soul and changed something in me that day, I still don’t know what but I know this  much I will always remember this woman as the only person who ever evoked such a strong reaction to me in such a short time. Sometimes, these miracles, these things they touch our lives in the smallest way and we are changed forever.

This was 2 years ago and to this day I still know that this woman touched my heart somehow and in some way, and I don’t know what I did to deserve the things I did but I was thankful anyway.

This was two years ago and to this day I wonder about the sweet old woman sometimes. I know now that I’ll probably never see her again but that one meeting was all I needed to have her open my heart to new possibilities and see the world a little more clearly. Now, I’m a little more open to new risks of the

unknown and even though it still frightens me, I’m getting better at accepting it. I put myself out there a little more, offer a little smile, a polite Hello and a grateful thank you whenever the opportunity presents itself.

As we go about living our lives, we pass by and encounter different things in life, many of which we don’t notice and even more that we don’t really care about. But somewhere along the way, these things affect us; in ways we will never know and for reasons we can’t ever understand.