A Walk in the Dark

I must confess that I have been riding public transportation. This is not a confession that I am embarrassed of, nor one that makes me feel guilty. It is simply a confession. The mini bus I take is #6 (ekvsi). These are loud transport vans that contain superb drivers.

I normally catch the bus to work in the morning, and need not yell “Kacheret!” because my stop is the last one. [Kacheret means stop]. I had not taken the bus from work back home… until yesterday. I got a ride from a co-worker all the other days.

I was 100% sure that I knew where my stop was. But, it was dark now. I calculated that it would take me a little less than thirty minutes. Once thirty minutes had passed I knew that I had gone too far. So I calculated. I did not have a watch or anything that would tell me the time, so I guessed. I saw a familiar street, but could not remember if my house was anywhere near this road.

Number 6 turned off a road that I did not know. It kept going and going in the opposite direction. Great... Now where am I going?

I knew I was going the wrong way.

I had a Plan B. This plan was to stay on the mini bus as it went on its route again. This way, I could look down that familiar road to see if I spotted anything else that I might remember. But then, this would take too long. I was not willing to give up so much time.

A man in the mini bus said, “Kacheret!” And the mini bus came to a halt. I decided to get off too, so I followed the man. He slammed the door behind him. I paid my Fifty Tetri to the driver, and then realized that I did not know where the handle was to get out of the mini bus. Nonchalantly I started feeling the door and finally a lady helped me. I felt embarrassed, no doubt, because I was trying to act as though I knew what I was doing.

I got off the mini bus. My jacket pockets loaded with my books (since I had decided to leave my lap top bag at work). I then noticed that the street was completely dark. No one in sight, nothing in sight. I did not even pay attention to where the other passenger had wandered off to.

I put my hood up and started walking…confidently… toward the lights. I saw dark figures scurrying from the road to the walls beyond the sidewalk, back and forth. A car had stopped and two figures got out. The walked to the wall and opened a door. They slammed it. I walked by. Just as I was walking by it was opened. I acted like I had not noticed. Nothing happened.

I kept on walking in the cold and eventually arrived at a street light. I continued my trek, my facial expressions trying to give the message that I knew where and what I was doing. But, I had no idea.

I arrived at the familiar street and then it all came back. I gave a sigh of relief as I recognized “444” on the building. 444 means ‘paradise’—this was a hotel near my house.

I walked home and felt relieved.

Fortunately this experience did not make for a better story.