chance encounters

this week has been heavy with pouring torrential freak storms. two days ago, i was going back from work n i got caught out halfway in a flash thunderstorm. i'd gone to visit the washroom and when i came out, the light drizzle had instantly turned into a raging storm complete with flashes of lightning, my secret phobia. i just froze at the bottom of the building, called my friend and wailed in despair. there was nothing to do but wait, so i did. after half an hour, my legs were going numb and the rain showed no signs of easing. i'd notice this slim chinese woman coming from the lift on the other side of the building earlier. i noticed her cos she had an umbrella (whereas i was sadly without) but she was, like me, staring hopelessly out into the rain.

just when i was wondering if i'd be stuck for the night, she came up to me.

lady:umm.. excuse me.. umm.. where are you going?
me:huh? err.. i'm just going to the bus stop but it's quite far away..at the PSA.
lady:oh ok.. umm. the thing is, you see, uh.. i have two umbrellas actually.
me:oh! ok..

the exhange continued for some time. end result was, she walked me all the way to my bus stop about ten blocks away, letting me use the bigger umbrella while she used a small foldup one she had in her bag, and after splashing through mini floods and streams together, we reached the bus stop. i tried to return her umbrella but she suddenly asked if i wouldn't get wet once i reached as well. at her hemming and hawing insistence, i brought her umbrella back, promising to return it to her the next day.

weirdly, she refused to tell me her name or contact, and just said i could put it on a shoe rack on the tenth level of the building where we met. all along she was quite painfully shy and at times i had to grin ingratiatingly for long periods til my face felt stiff, while she mmm and ahhed her sentences to an end. but still, her good deed really touched me and i felt it was very sweet.

when i finally returned the umbrella the next day, the sign at door on the tenth floor said, 'the house of the lord'. ... gee. if i were of that faith, i'd have said angels come in all shapes...