I am no angel

I got into the early morning train to Philadelphia and started searching for an empty seat. I take the train to work at least twice a week and it is usually crowded. I managed to find an empty spot near a smartly dressed old lady and I was greeted with a friendly but hesitant smile. As I settled down, she got up from her seat and she started moving towards a different seat. She softly muttered that her nose is a little sensitive. I was not sure what to make of it. Is she referring to some strange smell coming from my clothes which I was not aware of? Is it the smell of the perfume I sprayed before leaving home? (remind me to sue Axe later) The longer I thought about it, the more irritated I became. Or was it something else? Is it because my skin color did not match hers? Is it because my nationality did not match hers? If so, she must be ashamed of herself. How can she treat a fellow human being this way?  I would never treat someone like this. As she got off the train, I looked directly at her but she did not look at me as she had her head down - intentional or not, I will never know.

My usual nap followed and the incident was forgotten. Later that evening, I was waiting for my train at the beautiful Philadelphia 30th street station. It has those old style wooden benches which were smooth and comfortable. I noticed a poor old lady who was possibly homeless walking towards the bench. She had a dirty bag which seemed to contain some clothes and other stuff but she did not look like she was travelling anywhere. She gently came and sat right next to me. I looked the other direction and did not know what to do. I needed an excuse to move away from the lady. I quickly took out my phone and got up acting as if I had to make an important and confidential call. The entrance to the men's restroom had a full-length mirror. I saw my own reflection and it hit me – real hard. What have I done. I hung my head in shame not able to look at my own self. I am no angel.