160 Bus Tales

아줌마

You didn't want me to sit next to you, or so it seemed. I knew it was a risk to squeeze past You to grab one of the last seats remaining on a crowded bus. Your hand rested on the seat, blocking my ability to sit. Still undeterred for reasons even I can't explain, I slid past You to the inside seat by the window. You cleared Your throat, but moved Your hand so I could sit.

Even for the strange looks I received for being a Westerner from people of most of the people here, nothing matched the intensity of stares I got from Your generation. I expected the resistance, and so I put up my own wall. It was easier than the awkward feelings.

I could feel You staring intently at me. Studying me. So I turned toward the window.

Then I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, "Pray blessing over her."

So I did. I prayed for You. 

Five minutes after that call to Heaven, You turned toward me and in Your native tongue, You asked me for the time. In my foreigner confusion, and slow reaction time, I shoved my arm at You, to reveal my watch, because I couldn't manage to get out, "Oh-she-ship-sam-bun, " out of my tongue tied mouth. You pulled my arm close and stared at the watch on my wrist for several seconds.

Then it clicked in my mind: 

You couldn't really see.

You couldn't see my watch, and You couldn't see the clock at the front of the bus, and You couldn't really see my face, which in likely why You looked at me with such intense focus.

You continued to speak to me and I desperately listened for anything in the language I recognized. You leaned in as I stumbled out broken answers.

I discovered, not only was Your vision weak...so was Your hearing. I did sort out that You wanted to know where the Dongshin University stop was, but just as You couldn't see the displaying the upcoming stops, You also couldn't hear the sole speaker at the the front of the bus announcing the stops.

And despite all our broken communication and shortcomings, You got off safely at Your desired location.

As the bus pulled away, I realized that God had intervened. There were Your own countrymen all around for You to ask for help, but You relied on a confused foreigner. A foreigner who asked God to bless You and who figured out that You were probably as intimidated by me as I was of You. So God made me the blessing.

Sure it felt like the blind and deaf leading the blind and deaf, but by the grace of God You made it to Your destination, and I was reminded that I pray and God moves.