Traveling Alone

       Jerry and I had driven, with our 5th wheel camper, from our home in Michigan to our son's home in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was so good to be with Tim, Shauna, Annie, and Kaleb! But then, I left Jerry there and flew from Regina to Vancouver, British Colombia. Friends, Ray and Nancy, met my plane and drove me, while we visited, to the bus depot, so I could take a bus down to Everett, Washington. Friends, Tillman and Gwen, met me in Everett and drove me to Stanwood, Washington, where my parents were living and were waiting for me to arrive.
       The flight to Vancouver was a normal flight. I had a long, several hour wait for my bus ride to Everett. I people watched and chatted with a few. Time passed.
       There was a man near by, who never came over to talk, but who, I noticed, glanced my way every now and then. He was a friendly looking person, who even looked somewhat familiar to me. In fact, it seemed like we were friends. He was probably close to my age. We would smile, as though acknowledging each other, but never spoke.
       When it was finally time to board my bus, the man glanced my way as he also boarded. It was after dark when we left and drove toward the border. It took time when we got to customs but we were finally on our way once again, this time in the state of Washington. 
       It was very late now and I slept until we stopped at a bus station...somewhere. Was this my stop? I didn't know where we were! I needed to talk to the driver to ask where we were...if this was my stop. But he was already off assisting other passengers. I stood up and looked around, not knowing what to do. I suddenly saw the man, my silent friend! He was looking at me and mouthed the words, "This is not your stop." 
       Oh, okay. Somehow, I believed him. I smiled and said, "Thank you."
       I sat back down and looked out the window. How did he know it wasn't my stop? We hadn't talked. He hadn't seen my ticket. 
Who was he? He looked so familiar...
       Finally we arrived at Everett. Three of us got off the bus, two men and myself. 
       The bus depot was closed!   It was now the middle of the night, like two or three A.M. This was not a friendly, well lit neighborhood. It fact, it was kind of a run down section of town. I had planned on waiting inside the well lit depot until morning when Tillman and Gwen would pick me up. Now what...I couldn't sit outside, on the curb, in the dark.
       My new, familiar, yet unknown friend, came walking over to me. "What are you going to do," he asked? "You can't stay here. It isn't safe. Is someone picking you up? I have a cousin coming to get me, then you'll be by yourself."
       Looking around I saw a well lit 7/11 convenience store about a block away. I said, "I think I'll go to that 7/11 store and wait inside until daylight, then I'll call my friends.
       He nodded his approval. His cousin arrived...not in a very good mood. But my friend insisted they wait for me to walk the block to the store and was safely inside before they left me.
       As I walked in the store, I turned and saw them begin to drive off. He was smiling and waving. I smiled and waved good-bye.
       I never saw the man again. I still wonder who he was, why he looked familiar, why he was watching me...
       Do you believe in angels? I do...


     I'm not even going to think about what might have happened if I hadn't had an angel watching over me all the way on that bus ride.