[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — It was one of those days, and nights. I boarded the bus for the long schlep to work in Jerusalem. Three blocks later, my bus was in an accident with another bus. I still don't know what happened. All of a sudden, I felt the impact. It was a good thing I was on a tour bus with high-back, comfortable, padded velour seats and arm rests. Thank G-d I do not have a whiplash. As far as I know, the people on my bus escaped injury. We had to wait for another bus to arrive for the transfer of passengers. It only took forty minutes. Needless to say, by the time I arrived in Jerusalem at the central bus station, I had missed my regular bus connection to the part of the city where my office is.
By the time I arrived at work, it was too late to stop by the coffee shop across the street for a croissant and latte coffee before going to the office. Waking up at 5 a.m. to get to work on time requires a good strong cup of coffee and something to eat to get me going in the morning. My workday is long enough with the 4 1/2-hour roundtrip travel time added onto it. But today's untimely arrival meant I had to work later in the evening to make up for the time lost due to the bus mishap.
My usual train rides home were unavailable. Last week several people were trapped when a mechanical failure caused a train fire. A soldier had to shoot out the windows when the doors got too hot to handle and wouldn't open. Passengers were able to escape with minor injuries, thanks to the quick thinking of the soldier. But it resulted in using all the old model trains to be put out of commission for maintenance, and the first part of my journey home involves riding the older model train until transferring to the modern train on the last leg of my trip home. Instead of the trains, I had to take buses home.
The bus ride home was relatively uneventful — until we approached my city. Lightning flashed across the black sky illuminating the heavens for miles around. It was a beautiful sight, like fireworks exploding on the Fourth of July. There did not appear to be any clouds or thunder, just streaks of lightning in the distance. The weather was dry, yet chilly, until we entered the city limits of my town. All of a sudden the sky opened with a violent downpour of rain.
Had I not been delayed because of the morning's bus accident, I would have been home by the time the storm commenced. I alighted from the bus into an ankle-deep puddle of water, wading my way to the sidewalk. The ¾-mile walk home was an obstacle course trying to avoid the rivers of water and mud flooding the streets as the deluge continued. There was absolutely no way to cross at the intersections without sloshing through the swirling pools of rainwater that were at this point higher than the sidewalks. I could actually hear the water swishing in my shoes and squeaking as I walked.
Of course I had dressed for a clear day. No umbrella. I wore a light sweater for the evening and my normal attire of an ankle length skirt and scarf covering my head. The scarf was a slight protection from the elements but so thin that it was dripping wet by the time I arrived home. My sweater was sopping and my long skirt was drenched and stained with mud. My shoes were soaked and have yet to dry, and probably will have to be thrown out as they are entirely ruined.
It was a day, and night, to thank G-d. I survived the bus accident with no injuries, and Israel needs rain because of our drought. What a blessing!
L'hitraot. Shachar
