Mary

An elderly lady is waiting at the bus-stop with a zimmer frame.  She is upright and smartly dressed with short grey hair.  As I approach, she gives me a knowing smile.  She seems happy to give me an answer.  'I was just thinking', she says.  'I've been waiting an awfully long time for the bus'.  I ask what number she is waiting for and she tells me she is on the way to the hospital.  She had fallen over and hit her head on the hard parquet floor.  I notice a small cut to the left of her forehead.  'I was going to go to bed but then I thought I'd better go and get it checked out', she says.  I tell her that I can check when the next one is coming on my phone if she would like.  'Can you do that?' she asks.  I find that there is one due in five minutes.

I check that she is alright and ask if she would like me to wait with her until the bus arrives.  'No thank you very much', she says.  'I only wish I could do you a favour in return'.  I tell her that she already has.  She takes a hand off the frame to shake mine.  I wish her a very safe journey.