The Girl in the Blue Dress

1.15 on a Wednesday afternoon…. Here I was, sitting in my car, heading out to a meeting across town. The sun was hot and the traffic slow. Where does everyone head out to at this hour?!! Shouldn’t everyone be indoors eating lunch? The RJ on the radio just gave a weather update. 35°C and no sign of the promised rain!!

Stuck at a signal, I started cursing my luck. It was going to be a long drive….an hour plus at least! When suddenly I noticed this little girl in a blue dress looking at me. She was in the tempo just ahead of me, sitting in her grandfather’s lap, her head on his shoulder. Must have been about 4 years old…

I gave her a little smile. She stared back, unsmilingly. I waved. No response. So I took my attention back to the signal. It finally turned green. And just as the tempo began to move, the girl gave a small, shy wave. For the next two crossings, I was behind the tempo. At the next signal, she waved again, this time smiling. I had made a friend! The smiling and waving had now become a game. At one point, even her grandfather turned to look whom she was waving at. Till…at the next crossing, with a final wave, I turned off to the right.

As I drove away, my thoughts went back to her. She, travelling in the crowded, hot tin roof tempo, still had the spirit to smile and wave at a complete stranger. And here I was, in my air-conditioned car, cribbing about the heat and the traffic!

By now I had a smile on my face. And suddenly the drive didn’t seem so long and arduous any more. Thank you, my little friend, for reminding me how blessed I am!!