Oh, I Love Being a Woman
I was watching Anne with an E the other day, and there’s a scene I always love, the one where Ruby says, “Oh, I love being a woman.” It made me smile, but it also brought back a memory from when I was 17.
I was traveling to my hometown, a small village far from the city. I wasn’t feeling well that day my head hurt, and I felt weak. That’s when I noticed her "a woman in a green saree, sitting nearby with a small bag on her lap". She smiled at me, a warm, familiar smile, as if she had known me forever.
After a while, she started talking to me. She told me about her life, her family, her village and asked about mine. There was something calming about her voice. I felt myself relaxing as we talked.
At some point, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I realized my head was resting on her shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she brushed my hair gently, like a mother would. I had never felt that kind of comfort before so simple, yet so warm.
When her stop came, she smiled at me and said goodbye. I watched her leave, feeling a strange emptiness as the bus pulled away. The bus conductor gave me a curious look. “Aren’t you going with her?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “We just met on this trip.”
He looked surprised. “She was looking after you the whole time,” he said.
Even now, I still think about her. Her kind smile, her gentle touch. I wish we had exchanged phone number or any contact. I wish I could see her again. More than anything, I hope to be like her one day to have a heart as kind as hers and to give others the comfort she gave me.
