Stories of Kindness from Around the World

When I was very new to US, I needed to get a new passport. It had only been two weeks since I landed here with my husband, but I needed a new one because I had gotten an emergency passport to come in the first place.

At the time, we lived in Houston,Texas. We only had one car, so my husband dropped me off at the passport office and told me to take Bus #82 to get back home.

I finished my work at the passport office and boarded Bus #82. I sat in it for an hour or so, but it didn't go anywhere near my house. I even told the driver where I lived, but the street was so small that even he didn't recognize it. So he simply brought me back to the starting point again.

When I got off the bus, it started raining heavily. I tried asking the people around me for help, but no one knew where I needed to go. Those days, I didn't have a cell phone, and at that moment, I couldn't find a pay phone.

Wet and panicky, I said a quick prayer, and came back to the bus stop where I had boarded the bus. An old lady who was standing there offered to hold up an umbrella for me. She even made me stand on the bench, to shield me from the water that splashed up from the cars speeding past us.

Then, I asked her for help. Though she also did not recognize my address, she asked me for the names of the streets that came before and after my home. Then, she figured out what had gone wrong. Apparently there were two Bus #82s. The one that I had boarded did not go all the way to my house, but went on a different route. She told me that I had to change buses midway to get to my house.Then, she got me on the bus and even told the driver to get me off after 3 stops so that I could take the correct Bus #82.

Thanks to that nice older lady, I got home eventually. After that experience, I had the courage to travel by bus anywhere in the city.

I also learned that help can come from any corner or person! I still remember that lady's face and always think about her. I hope she is safe and healthy.