serendipity ≫ mario götze

001

        The bus arrives and my heart starts beating faster. I don't know how to ask for a bus ticket. I haven't yet done that. I should have gone walking. The bus stops, the door opens and the kids run in and ask for a ticket with ease. I try to hear what they are saying, but I can't. I will just try it in English. I sigh, walk inside, with the casual looking guy behind me.

        “I would like to go to the city center, please,” I say and I look at the bus driver who appears to be rather confused by my English. I try to come up with the right words in German, but that doesn't work either. I mutter a few words, very confused of what I am actually saying and at some point I feel a hand on my left shoulder. The guy dressed very casually starts talking in German to the bus driver and he smiles and makes some noises and replies back to the guy and the bus driver gives me a ticket.

        “Danke schön,” I say to him and give him some money. Saying thanks was a thing I learned pretty quick. I glare at the guy and he just grins at me. I walk to an empty seat. The guy pays and he finds a seat pretty far in behind me. I look outside and I see the streets and the trees passing. I have no idea where I am, but I'm sure I'm entering the city when I see shops and more people. The bus stops a couple of times and people enter and go out, but the guy is still there. I am now fascinated with him. Why would he help an American lost in translation?

        I wave the thought away and start thinking about where I would go. The bus stopped again and the guy got out of the bus in a busy street. An impulsive thought runs through my mind and I get up and get out the bus. A quick wave to the bus driver and I follow the guy. He doesn't seem to notice and I sprint so I reach him. I grab him by the shoulder and he seems to be startled and turns around. He is relieved to see me. At least, that is how I feel about it.

        “I just wanted to say thanks, I guess,” I say. I wasn't prepared what to say, but I was hoping I was saying the right things.

        “Oh. I wasn't expecting this,” he answers with a very strong accent. It's cute, I must admit, “but thanks, it was the best I could do.” He looks down and laughs. “Not a lot of Germans actually are capable of having a conversation with a foreigner.”

        “That surprises me,” I say, “I mean, I was guessing the English education here in Germany is pretty good, as there are several English courses offered at university.” I am drifting off. At that point, I realize that we were standing on the middle of the sidewalk. I am talking to a stranger. In English. I should instead be practicing my German, but I like how I can speak with someone. It's the first in probably a few days. I giggle.

        “Yeah well, we are not all that good,” he says and pauses, “Maybe we should step aside if we want to continue talking.”

        “Right, maybe we should indeed, if you want to continue talking to me...” I say hesitantly. It was not that I wanted to talk to him, but it was nice to have company in a city where I don't know anyone.

        “Sure, why not, but I'm on my way to training. I'd invite you to come and watch but you would probably not be interested in it,” he says.

        “Why wouldn't I be?” I say, “I would probably have said yes if I actually knew who you are.” I say, smiling. Okay, I would probably say yes. He was cute, definitely cute, but I was looking for a friend and I was hoping he was looking for a new friend as well.

        “Of course,” he says and extends his hand, “My name is Matthias.” I reach for his hand and take it. His hand is warm and soft.

        “Nice to meet you, Matthias,” I say and I shake his hand, “I'm Lillian, but people call me Lilly.” I wasn't sure where this was going to go. And I'm curious to see what training he was going to. Does he do tennis? Soccer? Maybe he even plays chess and that's his training? “So i'm curious now, why do you ask a random American girl to your training of whatever?”

        “Basketball, plus I am rather impulsive and you seem like a nice girl,” Matthias says.

        “Right, well I was mostly looking for a place where I could draw and a basketball training seems like a great place. I mean, I could draw all these handsome men without their shirts,” I answer, looking at him. I don't know why I was getting comfortable with someone who I barely know. But he seems like an interesting person and it made it easier that he speaks English.

        “Don't get too comfortable,” he says laughing, “I could easily leave you just here and go to my training all by myself.”

        “Well I'd most likely find another place to go draw, but it seems a bit more interesting with someone else around,” I say, “We could always meet up some later, after your training and go get something to eat. It's nice to have some human contact.”

        “Yeah, that's totally fine with me as well,” he says, “Just wanting to make sure, this is not a date right?” He blushes.

        “Ah right, it wasn't a date from my side, I guess” I say, grinning. He takes a paper from his bag and scribbles down his number, using the country code of Germany to make sure my text message will reach him. I write down mine on another piece of paper and hand it over to him. He smiles and mutters a thanks.

         “Thanks, it was lovely meeting you, will definitely text you,” I say, “Hope you have a good time at your training!” I wasn't sure what else to say. After all, I would have said yet, but I guess I got back, I was maybe a little scared and my anxiety started playing up. We only barely talked for a few minutes. Maybe he could become a friend. I smiled at him and I continued the path, separating with Matthias. I looked back at him and so did he. Both bursting out in giggles when we continued our ways.