A Little Thing Called Serendipity

Chapter 1: The Stranger on the Rainy Night Bus

"Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?" 

"Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences."

"It's serendipity." 

I giggled to myself when I read that on the internet. I never really believed that something good could just happen out of the blue without you looking for it.

At least, that's what I thought... until that one rainy night happened.

What usually takes 30 minutes ended up taking me two and a half hours just to get to the bus station. Blame it on my stupid bladder! I had to pee so badly, I thought I was going to explode. 

By the time the bus finally pulled into the station, I ran straight to the bathroom. And, of course, by the time I came back, I had missed the connecting bus I needed to get home.

Ugh.

I groaned at myself for not being able to hold it in.

"Oh well... I'll just wait for the next bus," I muttered.

The schedule board said the next one wouldn't come for another hour.

While I waited, I called home to let them know I'd be late.

"It's officially proven....the universe hates me," I sighed into the phone. "My day couldn't possibly get any worse."

After I hung up, I noticed a young woman standing across the platform. She had clearly overheard my phone call, and she smiled faintly when our eyes met. She spoke my language, and soon enough, we struck up a conversation.

The bus didn't come for another hour, but talking to her made the time pass quicker. She explained that if the next bus was an A route, only I could take it. But if it was a B route, we both could, since it went further.

Eventually, the bus arrived and it was an A. I said goodbye to her, not even knowing her name, and started boarding. But just as I was getting on, I caught her reflection in the bus window. She was getting on too.

Confused, I turned around. "Why are you getting on? I thought this was an A?"

She smiled, pointing to the display. "Look again. The bus number just changed to B. I'm Abby, by the way."

I had seen bus routes switch like that before, so I didn't think much of it. She sat beside me, and we continued talking like old friends. I don't know why, but I felt incredibly comfortable around her...like I could share anything.

I told her about my family. She talked about her boyfriend. I wasn't in a serious relationship then, but I listened. Her presence felt oddly comforting.

When my stop came, I stood up to leave. She looked at me and said, "I hope I see you again."

I asked if she was on any social medias.

"No," she replied with a gentle smile. "Let's just see if we meet again."

I must've looked puzzled, because she added, "You know... destiny? Fate? Let's see if destiny brings us back together."

I was speechless for a moment. All I could say was, "You're so weird," before stepping off the bus.

Back on campus, I couldn't stop thinking about the encounter. I even told my classmates the story and asked how they met their partners or best friends.

At the end of their stories, one of them said, "If that's not destiny, I don't know what is."

I remembered the quotes I had read, the same quotes that once made me giggle. 

And now, here I was, living those words. 

A complete stranger, a random encounter, and the same idea: "Let's see if destiny brings us together again."

But the story didn't end there.

Two days later, I told my best friend about the mysterious girl I met. She looked stunned when I mentioned Abby's name after describing her characteristics. 

"Hey! That's my sister's best friend," she said. "She's been unhappy with her boyfriend lately, and my sister's been saying she wants to set her up with your brother. She thought he'd be good for her."

Turns out, Abby is my best friend's sister's best friend. Wow, What are the odds?

Both of us are university students. Abby and her friend are accountants at some private company.

Fast forward to five months since that night. I heard Abby broke up with the boyfriend she was planning to marry. But I haven't seen her since. I still don't know what kind of connection we had or what it meant. But I keep thinking about that night and how strange, yet beautiful it was.

Maybe it really was serendipity.

That experience changed something in me. It shifted the way I see things, the way I find meaning in everyday life.

There's always a surprise, a quiet miracle, an amusing incident. Even if the word serendipity is said to be one of the most difficult words to interpret in English, I believe almost everyone has lived a moment where serendipity was the main character.

And maybe... that's exactly how the universe speaks to us. In little whispers, strange meetings, and soul-shaking coincidences we're meant to feel, non-explainable.