The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Good, But No Samaritan
On the 92A bus, a gruff Austrian soldier keeps his pack on as he watches intently for his stop. Two elementary-aged boys on board spot an opportunity and sneak up next to the soldier. They connect a loop on his backpack to a plastic strap at the empty wheelchair-accessible seat. The boys await the soldier’s stop with ill-concealed glee. They ride beyond their exit in anticipation, whispering about riding the line back again. The soldier stays oblivious, staring out the window, and when he rings for his stop, the boys can barely contain themselves. As the doors open, the soldier is shocked. He’s stuck, moving forward but being held back.
I reach over and free him–no Samaritan since I’d seen what the kids were up to and smirked along with them. At the next block, the boys fly out the doors in triumph. An old man commiserates with me about harmless children and we permit each other full, open, public laughter. The others in the bus stay quiet and serious, but we keep laughing until the last stop. Three years later, I recall the boys and laugh even now.
–Vienna, Austria.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
Además de guapa una buena observadora y relatora, de esos pequeños detalles que forman la vida cotidiana y que para muchos pasan desapercibidos. Feliz año nuevo. Un abrazo
Feliz Año Nuevo para usted también! 🙂
Your story got me laughing, too. Thanks for telling it.
🙂 Thanks for coming by to check it out. Rascally kids and oldsters are my standard fare! Happy New Year!
Dear Paige,
Greetings from a land far away. That story with the soldier is the stuff of children’s’ books. It put a big smile on my face. All the best on your European adventure.
God bless
God bless you too! I am so pleased that we shared a grin over it. 🙂 Hope all is well wherever you roam!
Paige
My absolute pleasure Paige,
I love the sincerity and joyful expression in your writing, which is so refreshing to behold. You’re the type of person I could sit with a cup of coffee and share our experiences about the wonderful world we live in. Take great care, I’m still smiling 🙂
God bless
Vienna needs a good laugh! It seemed like a serious place, when I was there.
Oh what a wonderful story. It gave me a chuckle that I am sure will last all day. Your photos are wonderful as well.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
🙂 Happy to swing through! Thank you for coming over here as well. I AM encouraged by your work. Thank you!
the title of the post is a beauty 🙂 class of your own, Paige
Yeah, but I enjoyed watching the soldier get stuck. 🙂 So it’s also apt as heck! Hehe.
Reblogged this on The Nice Thing About Strangers and commented:
Playing along with tiny pranksters in Vienna.
Love it!! My character in my children´s book is in Vienna as I write!
Oh, how wonderful! VIenna was a lovely place for me. 🙂 I wish your character a fantastic trip!
Paige
Thanks!!