A familiar face

Today, I rode the Rainbow One bus route to Kimberley, a town to the northwest of Nottingham. From there, I walked along some public footpaths, then to Giltbrook and then to a town called Eastwood. I had a great afternoon out, exploring places I hadn't yet visited.

Still, in this sea of new lands I found a sense of familiarity: As I walked back into Kimberley from Giltbrook along the border of the two towns, I saw, at one of the bus stops, a lady who frequently rides on the same morning buses that I do and occasionally in the evenings as well; we live in the same town.

I was surprised to see her and I think she was equally surprised to see me. It's understandable for us to be on the same bus together on some mornings in our own town but to encounter each other some 15-20 miles away from where we both live...even in a localised area the odds are unlikely.

We acknowledged each other through smiles, which is, as far as I can remember, our first interaction, unless one of us once motioned for the other to board a bus out of politeness.