The Kind Stranger

Omar was spending the weekend in a city he didn't know well. He had bought a blue travel card at the station because a friend had told him that the tram was the easiest way to reach the old town. At the stop, he watched the people ahead of him touch their cards against a small machine.

When the tram arrived, Omar followed them. He held his card against the reader, but a red light appeared and the machine made a sharp sound. He tried again. The same thing happened, and a few passengers began to move around him.

“Hold it still for a second,” a woman behind him said kindly. Omar turned to look at her. Rather than taking his card, she held up her own and showed him where to place it on the reader. He copied her movement, and this time the reader flashed green.

“Thank you. It's my first day here,” Omar said as they stepped inside. The woman smiled and told him which stop was closest to the old town. She then moved towards the back of the tram, where her friends were waiting.

Omar found a seat by the window. He had felt awkward for a moment, especially with people waiting behind him, but the woman had helped without making him feel foolish. When the tram approached his stop, he checked the name twice and got off in the right place.