Lost Soldier

I realize that the people in America are very different from the ones back home. Some are very friendly while others are just strange and mean. I would like to share an experience I had during one of my travels. During the beginning of the journey I met many people such as strangers and bus drivers who pointed me in the right direction to my destination, which was the beach. They spoke to me kindly and patiently offering their suggestions. I was alone during this journey and was very lost if not for people giving me directions. Anyways towards the end of the journey I missed the only bus there was left for me to take home. In the end I was suggested by some stranger to take a bus to a hospital which was in the middle of no where so I can take a cab there which would be cheaper than taking a cab from the bus stop which I was waiting at.

In my head I pictured it as simple as getting on the bus, heading to the hospital and catching a cab there. Little did I know that my journey was going to be a bit scary. When I first got on the bus, the driver assured me that there would be taxis at the hospital and that I would be fine. But I had to make a stop somewhere and take another bus which goes to the hospital. I got off the bus and winded up in some industrial area by some train tracks. It was already midnight and the place was kinda dark despite the high amounts of street lights. There were some "interesting" characters who waited at the bus stop with me. It was kinda dodgy of an area and the whole environment kinda gave me the creeps. The dim street lights, the ugly industrial buildings surrounding the area, the shady people who waited with me, the bitter cold and the horrible screeching of a long cargo train slowly crawling by behind the bus stop. When the bus arrived, I realized that I have only big notes and not enough change. I kinda panicked a bit, but to my surprise someone gave me some money for the bus ride. It was some Mexican fellow clad in a stained shirt and faded jeans. From the greenish veins popping out of his scrawny arms presumably from hard work I can tell that this was not a man of means. I do not mean to be stereotypical, but sometimes you can just tell. I moved by this man's generosity and felt bad for taking his hard earned money. I thanked him profusely.

Whilst on the bus, I realized that the driver was not very friendly at all. He did not answer any of my questions properly and seemed to be annoyed. There were some weirdos on the bus as well. There was this guy who kept checking himself out in the mirror and kept laughing to himself. He wore a hat, a scarf and was holding onto a walking cane. This was not some old man, it was some middle aged man. He crept me out. Then there was this mother and son. The mother was an old lady while the son was a grown adult man presumably in his 30s. He seemed very childish and kept disobeying his mother despite her nagging. He was walking around the bus while it was moving and nearly fell a few times. He cursed and swore at his mum too. The old lady was kinda scary herself, she had blue mascara around the edges of her eyes. The whole situation had no context and it crept the shit out of me. I gave up talking to the unhelpful bus driver and took a seat. The journey took about an hour and I reached the hospital. Before I got off, the bus driver asked the other passengers nicely and politely if this was their stop. I was thinking wtf, is this guy racist? Once he was done, he looked at me like I was some punk and I got off the bus. Fking ass.

When I got to the hospital, it was kinda empty. It was around 1am when I arrived. I saw some lady who presumably was a nurse in the parking lot and she thought I was some thief and walked away from me. I wanted to ask her if there were any phones in the hospital to call a cab but she rudely responded to me that she didnt know. I was kinda discouraged at this point. When I got in, I was greeted by this female security guard who checked my stuff. I told her my situation and she did not seem to care at all. She crudely gave me directions to a pay phone somewhere in a higher floor within the hospital. While walking along the white, empty, echo-ish corridors of the hospital, I was thinking, "where the hell am I?" What am I doing here?". I felt kinda desolate at this point.

Upon reaching the pay phones, I realized I did not have any change for it and cursed my luck. I walked around a bit and saw this male security guard. He was African American and greeted me with a warm smile. I was kinda relieved as it was the first friendly face I saw after quite awhile. I told him my situation and he told me not to worry. I asked if he had any coins to change with me but he instead used his handphone to call a cab for me. While waiting for the cab, he spoke to me about his experience when he first came to America and how just like me he got lost as well. He told me about his family, his previous career in the military and gave me some good advice when travelling. He kept me company while waiting for the bus and I felt better after that. I think I would have been stranded in the hospital that night if it were not for that kind gentlemen. Before I got on the cab, we bid farewell to each other. He face was filled with concern and I could detect some sadness as well as we went our own ways. I wish there was some way I could repay him.What a day it was, meeting all sorts of different people from a completely different culture.