Have you ever gone somewhere alone.. and then got lost??
I have, I wasn't lost but I would.. if someone didn't help me.
Few years ago , exactly in the early of 2002, when I was at second semester in University, I had to attend my sister's graduation at Airlangga University in Surabaya.
My family went to Surabaya by car from Magetan, which means I couldn't join them because I was in Malang. I decided to contact the travel agency, which provided good car to take me there. I told them to pick me up in front of the campus at 04.00 PM, because I still had several classes in the morning up to 03.00 PM.
Around 04.00 PM I waited the car in front of the campus' gate, I called the agency and they said the driver has left and he should has been there waiting for me, I have told them that I saw no car waiting for me but they didn't want to know about it.
Then I was like "God... what should I do? I've never gone to Surabaya alone before" suddenly I remembered a friend who has lived in Malang for years, I called him and told him what happened,and he suggested me to go to the bus station named Arjosari (there are too many bus stations in Malang) and take the 'Patas' bus to Surabaya
(Patas is the nick name for a bus which can go faster, with good AC,nice seats, not really expensive and the most important thing is secure).
anyway... I went to the bus station by public transportation, I thought it was only 20 minutes to get there,but it was about 60 minutes. I thought I took the wrong transportation, I thought I was lost, then I saw a woman who seemed nicer than the other passengers.
I asked her "is it the right transportation to go to Arjosari bus station?"
She said "yes, is this your first time going there by public transportation?"
I smiled and answered "first time ever, I want to go to Surabaya, can you help me?"
then She smiled and said "sure, I actually also want to pick someone there, I'll show you the bus, don't worry"
I felt terrible and also relieved, everything would be confusing if you knew nothing about it.
at the bus station the woman really helped me.. I wished I knew her name, or her house.well, after showing me the bus, she left me and said "take care, your trip will be about 2 hours, good luck"
I only could say "Thank you so much"
in the bus, I sat next to a man, he was an Arabian,he looked so serious,at a glance he was scary.. but then I tried not to care about him. I turned on my walkman, and listened to the Corrs, everything changed when I saw the man prayed Maghrib, I quickly erased my first impression about him and really hoped that he was a real nice guy.
around 7PM, many people were suddenly busy preparing to get off, I remembered the woman's words "2 hours" which meant I still had another hour. I didn't know how it started, I panicked, and I bravely asked the man "excuse me sir, why everybody was busy and so noisy?"
He said "everyone will get off at the next station"
I complained "but the next station is still about in an hour, am I right?"
He was a bit surprised, and then he asked me "where are you going?"
I answered "Surabaya, my friend told me that I should get off at Bungurasih bus station"
the man suddenly gave me a worry look, he said "I bet this is your first time having a bus to Surabaya? ok, the next station is in Sidoarjo, do you know where you are going?"
I nodded like a little girl, I told him about my sister, then He said "okay, I believe you have much money so you can take a taxi to drive you to Airlangga, actually I gotta get off at Sidoarjo, but I think I have to accompany you to Surabaya, so you don't have to worry anything "
I couldn't believe of what I just heard, the man that I thought scary.. turned to be a really nice man,, I was really ashamed to my own self. I only looked at the face, but not the heart.
At Bungurasih, He held my hand and took me to find a taxi, I was a bit shocked because the bus station was really crowded, and many taxi drivers offer me their taxis. The man told me that not all of the taxis there were good, many drivers tried to fool us. I said nothing and followed his steps, I never thought that I would meet someone like him, someone who really cared about the others. I never imagined that Bungurasih was a real huge bus station, I could have been lost if this man didn't walk beside me. At that moment I promised to God, I promised to see people by their hearts, and to think positive to the others.
Few minutes later we met a bunch of taxis again, and I didn't know what was on his mind, He told me "don't talk too much to the driver, if He ask you who I am, just answer I'm your father and I still have a meeting before catching you in Airlangga University"
then He took me to one of the taxis there, and talked to the driver "She is my daughter,please take her to Airlangga University, take her to the dormitory, my first daughter will wait there, thank you.. "
God.. I was really.. shocked.. this man was really nice, he also wrote his name and his cell phone's number on a small paper, then said "ok, take care, see you there"
of course the driver didn't know that the meaning of 'see you' was a real good bye.
when the taxi was moving, that man stood and waved his hand, and smiled. I smiled back and said to God to forgive all my silly thoughts about him.
few minutes later I arrived in my sister's place, where she and all of her friends had been waiting for me, everybody thought that I was lost somewhere, because when they contacted the travel agency, they couldn't find any info about me. ow.. since then my dad bought a new cell phone and gave his old one to me.
until this moment on,, I still wonder where that man is, how he is doing, what he is doing.. many questions stack on my brain. but none can answer.. because ....unfortunately.. I lost that small paper.. I even cannot remember his name..
all I know... He is a nice man..
that was a real lesson that can be learned by everyone
sometimes you just have to take public transportation so you won't get any trouble like mine,,
sometimes you have to forget your own car just to get use to a situation like mine..
sometimes to get a good book, you really don't need to look at the cover..
the bottom line is... "don't judge a book by its cover" and always be ready to any situation.. ^_^
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