AN ERRAND
I decided to tackle a few errands first. I had promised to visit friends in Glasgow and to deliver a parcel in Oxford. It was wonderful to be in a country where there are actual buses to take you from place to place.
I had a funny experience in Glasgow. When I arrived at the bus depot, I had to walk to the main road and wait at the bus stop for my friends to pick me up. It was getting a bit late, and I wasn't alone at the bus stop; there was a very drunk old Glaswegian man there too. He was quite concerned for me when he learned that I was visiting from South Africa.
He repeatedly told me that it wasn't safe for me to stand there alone. Every second sentence was, “You need to take care of yourself now.” When his bus finally arrived, he stepped onto it. But, he paused before boarding. He turned to me and said again, “You need to take care of yourself now.” I just nodded. Just when I thought he was finally on the bus, he leaned out the door and shouted, “You need to take care of yourself now!”
Thank goodness the bus drove off—which I thought would be the end of it. But no! The bus came to an abrupt stop. He was still hanging out the door, shouting, "You need to take care of yourself now!" I thought it was one of those moments that will always make me laugh.
