Encounter

This story is based on an encounter I had on a bus in Greece.

“Ahem.” The weedy looking young man tried to attract the girl’s attention. She was standing leaning on the pole that stood upright in the bus, looking out the window, oblivious to him and his efforts. The bus was so closely packed that standing was necessary, and the young man was also on his feet. On the ground by her stood an upright suitcase, the cheap kind that falls apart soon after you buy it. This one was still holding together, so the young man guessed it had only recently been bought. This could mean one of two things: 1.She was a tourist, her bag had broken and she’d had to buy one in the Athenian market, 2.She lived here and was going on an overseas trip.

This girl had long red hair, loosely tied up in a bun, sharp black eyebrows that were curved so that they looked like they were asking a question, and green eyes. She was looking out onto the Greek landscape, and she seemed to like what she saw.

“Miss?” The man leaned towards her. It was amazing that she hadn’t heard him yet.

The girl turned her head slightly. There was a faint noise, but it was probably directed to someone else. Nobody but her family knew her here in Greece, and they were seated on chairs further back in the bus.

The man pushed his whiskered face slightly closer to the girl. “Miss?” He asked patiently. This time the girl heard him and turned a startled face to him. She had particularly wide green eyes and they looked surprised.

He waved his hand in the general direction of the window.

“Do you like Greece?”

He spoke in stilted English, his voice was husky and he had a heavy Greek accent.

The girl took a step back from him. She was slightly taller than him, but she looked up at him, because he was standing on the platform.

“Yes, I like it, it's beautiful.”

The man stared at her. He couldn't make out her accent, but it wasn't from any part of Greece. Maybe America?

“And you are from Greece?”

“No, I'm not, I'm...” she was interrupted by the man.

“You must be from Greece!” He declared.

Again, she attempted to explain.

“No I'm not, I...”

“Then you are French?”

The girl smiled. It was a slow smile, but it stayed in her eyes for a while afterwards. She seemed amused by the conversation.

“No, I come from New Zealand.”

The young man's face remained blank. He was right then, he thought, New Zealand was probably a state in America. Or some town in Australia.

“New Zealand! Ahhh."

To be continued....