Quarter Dollar's worth - Thank you series - II

Long time ago, I remember reading a short story titled "One Dollar's Worth". This has nothing on similar lines. This is just yet another thank you note to well.. I cannot really say as a stranger since she has been my bus co-passenger for almost more than 2 months.. but yet - not that she is so close to me that I cannot term it that way too.

The bus is at 5:05 PM from my office. Miss that - and I get stuck for the next one hour in the ten-storied building which is floored with nice, smooth and green Italian marble - at least in the reception area, watching the statues of David surrounded with Tulips underneath and a fountain pool with the statue of a man spitting out water.! Not that I don't love talking geography with the security during that time - just that I don't want to do it too frequently either! :)

It was 5:03 PM when I rush out of the 4th floor south-side entrance towards the elevator lobby. I keep hearing "ting" sounds but nothing comes. And the one that opens up is actually a one that was going up all the way for 10 floors. I rush towards the staircase and make it to the ground floor security area within a minute. After taking a deep breath, I exhale in all happiness that it doesn't become like a "death row pardon two minutes too late" (yeah, I borrowed this phrase from Alanis M Ironic - which has become my favorite song too).

What do I have is a minute time for the bus to come. And what do I realize? I am falling short of a quarter..!! Automated ticketing system in the bus can only swallow your money. It cannot give you a change if you pay excess. Which means - I now have a choice to lose $5 or ask for a quarter..!!

I look around quickly. I almost made up my mind that I need to lose the $5 to learn a lesson or two to do it right the next time when this lady who commutes from New York to-and-fro on a daily basis to Shelton (I once did ask her what makes Shelton so special, especially when you can't even move around quickly here without a car!) was near the entrance waiting for the bus too.

The chill weather well into the summer beginning always use to be a good topic to talk about for us, if we did pick up any conversation at all during the transit between Bridgeport to Shelton or vice-versa.

Another person who pretty much works in the same building as what I do and commutes in the same bus was also near. I first approach him asking if he has a change for $5 and tell him I need it for the bus. Most of my co-passengers did know that I was one of the few "weekly pass" guys and normally never dropped a coin into the bus for a ticket. But on that day, my pass had expired by the AM travel and I needed cash for the evening. He regretted he couldn't be of help to me. And our New Yorker happily takes out her bag and lends me a quarter. I offered the $5 to her asking her to give me the change later. But she refused it stating "Don't even worry about it"

The times are definitely tough and even the largest companies are counting every cent they spend. And here there was - a lady, who was traveling all the way from New York to Shelton (a travel time of almost 2 hours on one way) for her daily job, lending a quarter to a person whom she knows just as a co-passenger and nothing more!!

Many a thanks to that young lady, who lent me a quarter and saved me $5 alongside instigating quite a few insights on my mind.