The Gift of Friendship

I boarded the crowded Megabus headed for Scotland and made my way to the top deck in search of a seat. The air was warm and stale, potent with the aroma of hot bodies and well-traveled feet. I decided not to try too hard to sit up there and made my way back downstairs. An aisle seat was open at the back of the bus, unfortunately close to the toilet, but I looked to the lady sat by the window to see if it was okay if I occupied it. Her little face immediately lit up, filled with childlike joy at gaining a companion.Settling myself and my overloaded handbag into the chair, I started to get to know my neighbour, or really I should say that she started to get to know me. She had been traveling for the past several hours and clearly had been desperate to talk to someone. She had a thick Indian accent with a Birmingham twang which required all of my attention to take in her questions and stories. Her face was lined with the evidence of her years but her deep brown eyes reminded me of a child, full of innocence and care. I liked her.We had probably only been chatting for about ten minutes when she then removed one of her diamonte studded bangles and handed it to me. “This is for you. I would like you to have it. Friendship is more important than things. Everything is expensive, but friendship is not. Friendship doesn’t cost anything.”Stunned, and to be honest a little embarrassed, I tried to refuse. I didn’t even know her name at this point!“No, it is for you! I give it to you. You are my friend.”I let her put the bangle on my wrist and we sat there like two high-schoolers, our arms now sparkling in unison.“Don’t throw it away,” she suddenly charged me, “it’s precious. Don’t get rid of it.”“Oh, I wouldn’t do that! I love this gift, thank you.” I smiled at her reassuringly, deeply touched by her radical expression of love to a stranger.“Ok,” she seemed satisfied with my response and settled back into her seat, smiling and nodding. “Friendship doesn’t cost you anything.”Sometimes it takes a random encounter with an Indian lady from Birmingham, England whilst riding the night bus to Scotland, to remind you of the beauty and simplicity of relationships. I will probably never see her again but she will forever be my friend, and her generous bracelet gift will forever remain with me. We’ve become very good at applying monetary value to almost everything now, we’ll even pay someone in order to gain more followers online, but true relationship doesn’t have a price tag; true friendship is a gift.