The Lady and The Helper

We all have memories. Some good, some not-so-good. Some we wish we would forget but we never do, we wish had never happened. But that's okay. Regrets are a part of life. Otherwise the word wouldn't be a part of language. It is normal that we look back and wish we had done something differently, maybe better, more or less.

I can recount several occasions on which I would literally cringe with embarrassment at the way events turned out. In my room. Sometimes I scream and my little sis just knows I'm having one of those moments; she's got them too. I'm sure youve got them too. Certain things happen and there's nothing you can do about it. Maybe then it may seem like the worst thing ever but sometimes you look back and realize it was a good thing dressed in tattered clothing. Like the time I went out without any money. Crazy, right? I'll tell you how it happened.

I like to match colours when I can in my dressing. So I change purses to match too (not that I have that many). So I picked my pink purse that fateful day to match my shirt but forgot to transfer money into it. Then I boldy stepped out. I think I was going to see a friend. Aboard a  troski(no, not a taxi) I went and after about three or four stops the mate turned to me for money.

And behold, I searched my bag inside out but there was no money to be found except a change of 40pesewas, I remember vividly. You know what made the whole thingh so much worse? There was this well-dressed, nice-looking gentleman sitting by me. How come they always have to be present at the worst? Luckily there was no one between the mate and I so I leaned in and tried to explain why I needed to alight immediately as I was gonna have to trek back home and get some money. (The young man by me didn't look exactly interested in my converstion with the mate but didn't mean that he couldn't have suspected what was going on.) The mate was understanding, even offered to take no money. An offer I would have grabbed had it not been that I would have had to continue my journey from where I'd have alighted and I wasnt sure I was going to meet another mate as kind as he.

So I alighted at the very next bus stop while pondering over the long walk back home, I didnt notice that the gentleman alighted too. By then my stop was about six back. For a few seconds I tried to compose myself, as though anyone looking at me could tell my predicament. I contemplated hailing a cab to make it quicker, especially since I was gonna come back anyway. Then I heard a voice behind me say: "Excuse me. Hello!" I turned and gave as broad a smile as I could give under the circumstances. "Hi," I responded. He proceeded to introduce himself and ask of my name and if I lived around. Turns out he was headed to my area so he offered to take a cab with me. I hesitated, of course, questioning his story in my head because as I already said, my stop was way behind. Why did he not alight there or at the one after or even at the one after that? But then again who questions good fortune? I didn't have cash. Then he saved us both the trouble of long talks by stopping a cab and opening the door for me, brooking no room for resistance. I could have declined, of course, had I really wanted to. But he insisted on paying (yipeeee! Inside me). Not that I argued with him on that, anyway. So long story short, Carl and I had a lively chat in the cab back to my place (he dropped me off first, wasn't he just kind!).  To my surprise he alighted as well and asked if we could talk a while.

It took a few weeks but Carl eventually told me the real reason behind our first meeting. He'd heard my conversation with the mate and he was a 'sucker for damsels in distress', as he so nicely put it(quite an exaggeration, I must say). I know if I were light coloured I'd have turned red considering the furiousness of the blush that washed over me. But we laughed over it. It was only funny to me the first time. After that, it was only he who found it funny still, laughing at my expense. I still cringe at the memory of the whole thing, especially the part where I was actually deciding whether or not to go with him in the cab when it was actually he who was doing me a favour.

I only wish he had been the one without money. But then again, we wouldn't have become friends because although I may have thought about doing something like he did, I'd never have got to the actual deed. Why? 1) because I feel sure he'd decline because of the infamous male ego(or because he didn't have cash) and I didn't want to put him in a situation where he'd feel obliged to pay when he didn't have any money and 2) because I wasn't so daring. But I met a nice person out of that situation. I'd say it ended pretty well, wouldn't you?

What are some of your worst or best or in-between memories? I'd love to read them if you decide to share with me!