My Saturday night saga

I have been asked this a number of times and I am finally ready to tell the story of my big-city adventures. I have been a little touchy on the subject for the last few days. I don't think it's good for my self-esteem. But hey, maybe somebody will be a little entertained by my saga, while taking a little study break. I just hope that I am not the only one who has been in a situation like that (cause that would probably kill my self-esteem completely). So here it comes...

On Saturday we went to see Teitur in Toronto. Good stuff! As I left Rivoli shortly before 1 am, I've decided that since I am already in TO, might as well do something useful. Since "something useful" was located in Scarborough, that's where I directed my steps. And everything would have been fine, had I not missed the last(!) subway that would take me back downtown (by about 7 minutes). A little puzzled with the new circumstances, I have decided that the bus would be the best next (and the only one) option. By the time lucky me got to the pick up stop, all that lucky me could see was a colourful ad on the back of the bus, leaving and taking my hopes to get home into the unknown far away. My "puzzlement" was replaced with a slight concern... My watch showed 2 am. Optimistic, as always, I noticed that the glass subway shelter I was in was only reasonably cold (as opposed to extremely cold outside), I set down intending to stay there for the next few hours, for cab was not affordable ($3 in my pocket would not get me far), and walking for not really an option.

However, I had to change my mind rather soon. A man who's been staring at me for the last few minutes suddenly started moving in my direction, simultaneously making considerable jumping leaps, producing a sound usually made by parents trying to motivate their children to behave via imitating a beast under the sink, and closing more rapidly than I felt comfortable with... My concern turned into the well contained panic, but the plan of action had to be reconsidered immediately, for I had no intention of keeping company to the mentally handicap homeless man for the next few hours.

The answer to my dilemma came with the bus, which was going nowhere near where I wanted to be, but away from my undesired companion. And that was good enough for the moment.

... I got off once a familiar street name was shouted out by the driver... Walking north seemed promising enough, for I had a vague recollection of the location of the streets and a Tim Horton's (Hallelujah!) where many high school class hours were enjoyably spent. An eventless 45 minute walk in the freezing cold was a success: I knew where I was. You would not believe the joy a large black coffee can bring.. mmm...

Attracting some attention (people who know anything about Scarborough would sympathize) at Tim's didn't bother me much, because it was one of the safer places to be at the time. After 2 hours of venting on the napkins (produced quite a novel), I was offered a ride downtown. My mom always taught me never to get in a car with strangers. Sorry mom...

A young man gave me a ride downtown, where I, to my great disappointment discovered that the Go station is not open for at least another hour and a half. The emptiness of the streets did not add any encouragement either. Oh well... I spotted a hog-dog booth down the street and ran there to ask whether there is any place around where I could spend these lonely hours. There was none. As I was about to leave, a man in the booth said that I am welcome to stay there and keep him company. A fire of the propane grill was definitely a sign that somebody "up there" was watching over me. The next 2 hours were spent smoking and having a rather interesting football discussion. For the first time in a few months somebody pronounced the name of my team correctly! Definitely a divine intervention...

From then on nothing particularly interesting happened: Go bus, Hamilton, home (sweet home!), and my pillow for the next 6 hours.

The moral of the story... well, you should've figured it out by now. And if not, my explanation isn't gonna help any. But God is good, and that night was a huge test of faith if nothing else and a proof of His faithfulness. I am loved...

P.S. Forgive my poor grammar. And I hope that nobody will ever be in a situation like that, 'cause it really does suck.