The winter snow blanketed the road in front of me as I patiently waited under the shelter of the bus stop.
A shuttle was scheduled to pick me up following the completion of my intercontinental journey. I made a call and was told that someone would come to pick me up.
And so I waited. And waited.
I gnawed at my patience little by little until it was just space.
I saw a vehicle approach and stop next to me. I hastily climbed in as I struggled to lift my baggage. So heavy were my suitcases that an old woman offered to get them on the shuttle for me despite her visible inability, which momentarily thawed the ice on my heart and person.
The driver asked me what my destination was. I gave her my answer, but she couldn't understand. I told her again, but she still couldn't understand.
Embarrassment overtook my weak body as I spelled it out while all the people in the vehicle and those waiting to board behind me stared at me with a sharp focus. She said that she didn't know the place and apologized. I stepped out.
The winter snow blanketed the road in front of me as I patiently waited under the shelter of the bus stop.
I made a call once again and was told that my vehicle would arrive.
And so I waited. And waited.
Embarrassment gnawed at me little by little, until I was just space.
A male student hurriedly ran to me and asked me if I was going to where he was going. I answered in the affirmative, and he offered me a ride. I declined as transactions had already been made, and the frigid night was too risky for a car to drive through.
I was beginning to shiver. The gloves weren't enough to shield me from the iciness. My shoes were wet after stomping all over the mud-snow mixture.
A woman nearby, who was also waiting, struck a conversation with me, venting her frustrations about the lateness of her ride and adding light to our situations. I tried my best to engage as I battled post-travel exhaustion, my cold-struck body, and anxiety.
The ride of embarrassment that I had earlier made an attempt to board on came back to pick up another set of passengers. The kind driver noticed me and told me to get closer to the light of the bus stop so that I could stay warm.
She left, and I conversed awkwardly with the woman near me.
She also left, and I was alone as the snowfall grew stronger.
I moved my body and stood outside the stop to get a better view.
Strangely, I didn't feel cold this time.
I felt a warmth wrap around and envelope my body despite the raging snow.
Not warmth from the lights.
Warmth from that old woman. Warmth from that male student. Warmth from that bus driver. Warmth from that talkative woman.
Never had I experienced such a will to help from the people around me. They were strangers, but they offered a helping hand even though I never reached out for help. They just knew, unlike a lot of people in my life who are known to me and still don't know.
I felt better. I also felt confused.
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