Like any other girls who lived swanky life, I spent my dad’s fortune, buying things that a perfect girl needs. From clothing: Gucci, Dolce and Cabana, shoes: Donna Karan, to the stuff like perfumes, CK. I owned all the up-to-the-minute clothes and everything. Yes, I was pampered by my well-heeled parents who were too busy to care for me. Everyday I was left with a few hundreds buck to replace their absence.
Mr. Kinsley, my caretaker, had been my best friend since I was two. He drove me to school, he fetched me up, he cooked me all my daily meals, and he even read me the bedtime stories every night till I was able to read on my own. Besides, he listened to me when I told him some stories that I read, he backed me up when I had a fight with my classmates and he always there when I needed him. And this story was about how a stranger had changed the most valuable minute which I was supposed to be with the one I loved.
Recently, Mr. Kinsley, who I used to call Philly, developed a disease. He coughed most the time, but he kept saying that he would be okay in just a jiffy. Yet, I didn’t believe him. I found his hanky, splattered with blood. Soon I realised, Philly was having a chronic illness and immediately I knew he was hiding it from my knowledge. At first, I was really hurt that he kept the secret. But then, I knew he was doing it for my own good; so that I didn’t feel worry. He was already seventy-eight. I couldn’t help not feeling worry for him. I blurted out everything the day when he asked me for my weird silence and both of us ended up crying. He asked me not to feel worry and I did as he asked. I went through all the days like nothing was going to happen instead of questioning God for the game that he was playing on me.
I walked to a bus stop that day. Philly hadn’t yet come and I decided to wait there to avoid from having Q & A session with my schoolmates. I hate to mingle with them as they always talked to me with a sardonic tone. At first, I didn’t realise that there was already someone waiting at the bus stop. He was bald and he wore a black specs. He looked like he didn’t notice I was there. I just sat there, appraising his looks from his left and his ignorance to me. My brain was working overtime to find the answer to the question wondering in my mind. Why didn’t he even look at me? Every one would take a second glance at me. But this boy didn’t even peek at me.
Philly still didn’t arrive. I was loosing my patient as the weather was gratefully hot and I had to wait under the bus stop that might fell apart in a few years. I decided to take the bus instead of waiting for Philly. There wasn’t any phone booth around. That could be a concrete reason if my parents questioned me as I took the bus. I couldn’t blame Philly. After all, he was as old as the bus stop and he couldn’t help forgetting few things that he had to do.
And after patiently waiting under that dilapidated bus stop, the bus, at last, arrived. I gathered my stuffs quickly and went to stand at the spot that I thought the best place where the bus driver could see me. Then the boy suddenly stood up. He was gripping something in his hand. I ignored him as he ignored me. He seemed to stare straight right into me. But I wasn’t so sure due to the fact that he was wearing dark specs. He might be at last interested in me.
“Excuse me. Is that bus number four?”asked the boy, politely. I turned to face him. And again my eyes fall at the thing he was gripping tightly. I nodded and turned my back.
But then I noticed he seemed to be waiting for my answer. He might just want to play with me.
“Yes. It is bus number four,” I said curtly, feeling annoyed as he was still looking straight at me.
“Thank you,” the boy replied.
I boarded first onto the bus. The bus was so cramped and fortunately there were two empty seats. I rushed to the seats and place all my stuff on the other seat. Then I was startled when I saw the boy held a white walking stick. He was blind. And I had been rude towards him previously. He seemed like he was used to take the bus as he knew where the seats had been filled. He walked and stopped when he reached beside me. For the first time, I saw his face. He was very thin and had fairly tanned skin. He looked about my age. He might be a little bit older.
I was so astounded by his charming looks that I didn’t notice he was about to seat on me. I was so flabbergasted and to reflex that, I screamed and pushed him hard that he too was staggered. I was blushing furiously as every one in the bus was looking at me and the boy.
“I’m really sorry! I didn’t know-“
“You stupid! Don’t you know I was there? You did that on purpose!” snapped me, feeling so embarrassed by that incident.
“I didn’t know that you were there. I’m so-“ for the second time, the boy didn’t have the chance to finish his words.
“You don’t have to apologise to her, boy. It’s not your fault,” the bus driver cried from the front of the bus, “now sit down, or you’ll end up lying on the floor.
I was really mad that the bus driver didn’t kick him out of the bus. But there was nothing I could do except letting the boy to sit.
“I’m really sorry. I think there’s nobody sit here like usual,” the boy said.
“How could you say like that? It can be some one sitting in. It’s a bus,” snapped me.
“I take this bus every day and usually no one sits here,” answer the boy. I was so dumbfounded by his answer that I kept silence through the trip. Now I knew how he could avoid the seats that had been filled. He might count the seat to reach the one that I was sitting.
I had to walk home even if I took the bus. As I boarded out of the bus, I didn’t look back. I was so embarrassed and mad. But then I heard a call. I turned back and saw the boy searching blindly at the spot where the bus stopped. At first, I was really mad. When I saw his face and his inability, my anger faded and I felt sorry for him. I decided to ignore my ego this time. I even completely forgot about Philly not fetching me up from school.
“I’m here,” said me, answering his continuous calls. He turned to look at me right after I said it.
“I’m really glad you didn’t go yet,” said him.
I reached home a little bit late that day. The boy and I had a chat. The boy was nice to me even I had being rude to him.
“Samantha! Oh, honey. I’m glad you’re back,” said mom. I was a bit surprised to see mom home at an afternoon. Mom usually got home at night, about eight. The same went to dad. But today, it was a surprised to see both of them got home so early.
“Mom! Dad! You’re... you’re early today,” replied me, not knowing what to say. I could feel there was something not right.
“Sam honey, there’s something you have to know,” said mom. She was fidgeting in her place.
“What is it?” asked me. The curiosity was building inside me. My assumption seemed to be right. Mom and dad looked at each other. There was someone missing. Philly wasn’t there.
“What’s wrong?” again I asked them. “And where’s Philly?”
This time dad turned to talk.
“Sammie. I’m really sorry. But you ought to hear this. Mr. Kinsley,” dad stopped. Mom started to sob feebly. The curiosity was killing my patient.
“Tell me! What is it?” I screamed. No, this couldn’t be happening.
“Oh, Sammie dear, Mr. Kinsley just passed away,” told dad.
I was startled. I was speechless.
“No. You must be kidding. He is here,” I looked around, “somewhere.” I called for Philly for so many times. I looked around the house like a little kitten that lost its mom. Mom was crying now. At last, I took in the fact. I couldn’t cry. My heart had gone numb.
Mom and dad brought me to the hospital where Philly’s body were kept. I took in his pale face for the last time. As Philly had no family, mom and dad agreed to prepare a decent funeral for him. The funeral went smoothly. Neighbours and relatives came to pay their last respect. I knew it was weird not crying when the most important person to me died. But it seemed my tears had gone along with Philly.
On the way home after the funeral, mom told me how Philly died. Mom said Philly had called her when he was attack by his baffling illness. Philly was wheezing when he called mom. Mom called the ambulance to go to our house and when mom and dad reached home, the ambulance was about to bring Philly to the hospital. But mom and dad waited for me to get home as there was no one around if I arrived. The hospital called few minutes before I reached home to inform that Philly had died.
I was regretting if I could only get home a little bit early. I could be beside Philly when he exhaled his last breath. I could be there if I didn’t stop to have a chat with the boy. Then it struck me. I had made a promise to the boy. I said I would go back to the bus stop and we would to get some coffee. But I had forgotten about it. I couldn’t remember anything else, except Philly. But then I had a second thought. The boy was the reason why I couldn’t get home earlier. Yes! It was him who made me late and because of that, I lost Philly. How I wished I could reverse the time. I could have been with Philly before he died. Fate had fooled me. How I regretted that I met the boy.