To that Ajusshi (25/8/18)

It  was my last night in South Korea. I left Seoul and went to Incheon to catch my flight for the next day. After almost 2 hours, I reached the airport. I departed with my two friends who were leaving for Shanghai. My flight wasn’t until the next morning. I told my self that maybe I could stay at the airport and go directly so that I could save money. I was there at the airport but giving a second thought,  I told myself that since  it was my last night, let’s make the best of it by doing all things that a K-drama actress would do. Haha ,it is funny but drinking soju and eating hot ramen came to my mind ( no pun intended). So I booked a hotel from booking.com and checked which bus takes me to that place. It was bus number 302 and it said 3 stops from the airport. 

So I went out and waited for the bus to arrive I was  anxious because my T-money finished and I had only 10000 won as a change. Anxiety crippled my mind as I kept wondering whether I should stay back or go, but I went anyway. Obviously there was huge rush and I had a luggage the a size of a fridge. I pretended that it was not heavy although it was and  I followed the queue to the bus. Having a luggage that’s a size of fridge and now giving the money to the driver was much of ahassle. I gave him the money and he had to look around for the change. There were around 5 people behind me and they were murmuring saying “what’s with her”. Almost after 2 minutes he gave me the change. With a sigh of relief and I quickly lifted my luggage even though it was very heavy so I could move the line. So I sat in the second last seat and taking longer breath after a cardio. The internet search mentioned after three stops my hotel would be near but the bus stop name and the one I was looking for  did not match. I was confused but  I told myself that maybe it would be the next stop. At each stop, my heart beat faster and faster as I was going further and further. After almost 3 hours, It was almost 8:30 pm and all the passengers left one by one. I can still remember the convenience store and the gate and I was near the beach. I realized that I have made the tour of Incheon city. The last stop reached and the driver saw me and he was like “odigaysay yo”. I could understand but I couldn’t answer to him. He said where are you going? I was literally so drained that now it didn’t matter where I was going.  What I could do was show him the hotel’s name from my phone. He looked at it and from his actions I could make it out “this girl left the station” . He put his hands on his head rubbing it with a sigh. If you were in my position you would be scared but I don’t know usually I am really keen on my own on what should I do, and how to be very careful especially when I am traveling. But I was just too tired, tired of things that was happening and I told myself fuck it and that it didn’t matter where I went. In the bright moonlight, I was free , free of thinking too much, just wanted to go with the flow.  He looked at me and I could see his sympathetic eyes he said sit down. He was talking in Korean and told me to take other bus, but on that moment I just stared at the bus schedule he was showing, I didn’t want to go as I just wanted to get lost. He again sighed and said ok I will drop you, but you have to stay here as my bus will only move at 9. He was circling the time with his pen by showing me the action. It was a relief that I don’t have to change the bus and and while waiting, he put on an old Korean song. I felt a sigh of relief and just hummed to that song. I felt so much at peace that everything was going to be fine, the moonlight and the song. I didn’t want to waste that moment thinking what will happen next. So I just gazed at the moon and hummed to do the song. After a while I saw that he was cleaning the bus and and he bought a warm cup of coffee . He offered a cup of coffee to a complete stranger.  I was surprised by his hospitality and was relieved that there is humanity in this world. And he was talking but I was just nodding yes and no to what he was saying. He wanted to talk but we could not converse as I didn’t know how to reply. But during that moment, I felt secure and thanked god that I met such  a kind person. I realized that sometimes you just have to let go and then feel that the world is a hard place to live in but it’s not that hard when you meet such kind souls. He dropped me to the bus station and he didn’t even take the money that I offered. That night still lingers in my memory and whenever I think of Korea I think of that bus ride and the ajusshi  who helped me, thank you so much. 

Ps- If a Korean person is reading this post I would be really grateful if you could translate this and somehow and somewhere he would know that a daughter from Bhutan would like to thank him for his hospitality and kindness.