Creativenonfiction #141 - A Chance Encounter

"Yes, I am already on my way", I could hear the woman behind me talking on her phone.

I was at the market, trying to buy some foodstuffs in order to make dinner. I made the mistake of hoping that I would be able to get all I needed from the small stores close to my house but when I went to the store after work, I was told the woman did not open up that day due to some issues.

I had no choice but to go to the main market which was a bit farther from my residential area. I took a bus down to the main market as it was was already getting late. I simply took my house keys and wallet and off I went.

I was at the fish stall, getting some fish for the soup that I would prepare for dinner when I saw the woman. She was dressed corporately, like she was just coming back from work.

Her facial countenance was screaming tiredness as she stood beside me, waiting for the fish monger to finish up with my order.

As the fish monger wrapped up the fish I had bought from her, I could hear the other woman's phone ring and when she picked it up, I could hear some ruckus in the background as the phone was on loud speaker.

"Junior, don't worry, I will soon be home, give your sister the remaining food, I am already buying ingredient for dinner at the market".

I could tell she was speaking to one of her kids as the boy was telling her he had given his sister the food and she said she doesn't want which led to her crying.

I paid for the fish that I bought and picked it up since the fish monger had packed it up for me. I went further into the market to get one more thing before heading to the bus station.

I knew it won't be easy getting a bus on time as it was already evening time when most people had already closed from work and on their way home. This time is usually known as rush hour period. My best bet was to take a tricycle as they travel short distances and they also work in turns (that is, the driver in front needs to have all his passengers complete before the next driver can call for his).

Luckily for me, I could see a driver holding up one finger which means one passenger is left to fill up his tricycle. I was about to board when I saw that woman again behind me.

I was in a hurry to get home but I knew if I entered that one, that means she would be the first person who would board the next tricycle and that means she would have to wait for the driver to get all his passengers before they could commence movement thereby delaying her.

I told her to take the one I was about to enter and that I would take the next one. I could see happiness written on her face. She thanked me profusely and boarded the almost filled tricycle while I entered the next one and waited a bit for the driver to call out for other passengers. In no time, the tricycle was full and we moved. I got home not too late to prepare my dinner.

Some months passed and I had forgotten all about that chance encounter at the market until I met that woman again at a bank.

I wanted to renew my ATM card which had expired and I also wanted to update my bank account. I was sitting down waiting for my turn when she passed by. I did not even recognize her untill she came to stand in front of me.

She held my hands and I looked up at her somewhat familiar face, trying to recall where I had seen her before.

She saw the confusion on my face and filled in the blanks for me. She told me how my kindness towards her that day at the market changed her mood as she was having a bad day on that particular day.

Her car broke down and she had to do a last minute shopping so her children could eat their dinner on time.

She asked what I needed to do and I told her. She told me she works at the bank and told me to come with her. That was how she helped me and I was able to do what I needed to do on time. I thanked her and she said it was the least she could do for helping her that day.

Truly, I understood that day that one good turn deserves another.

Thank you for reading.

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