（395）The Most Beautiful Scenery on a Journey... Is People!
(Continued from the previous article)
I once heard an elderly share these
words: “When two people are destined to cross paths, no matter how slim the
possibility, their paths will eventually meet. As the old saying goes, ‘Those
destined to meet will find each other even across a thousand miles; those
without fate may never meet, even standing face to face.’” Indeed, these words seem to have captured life's mysteries long ago. This is no sentimental novel, yet, rather mysteriously, I have experienced it all firsthand.
Remember the delicious Thai meal I mentioned in my previous article? The following day, Charles planned to visit a local market after hearing that some art supplies there offered excellent value for money and were well worth browsing. Although we had no time to visit famous landmarks or tick off tourist attractions, after exploring the market, we decided to make a little detour to a nearby tourist hotspot. After all, we might as well savor a taste of being tourists ourselves! Wow! When I spotted a collection of Van Gogh-themed stationery, I immediately sent Charles into the shop to pick out a few things for me, while I stayed outside, enjoying the street scenery.
Suddenly, two familiar figures walked past me. Who could they be? Why did they look so familiar? Had I seen them somewhere before? I immediately rummaged through my memory, desperately trying to recall where I had seen them. But within seconds, the two had disappeared into the distance. Shortly afterwards, Charles came out of the shop and found me standing there, completely dumbfounded. He quickly asked, “What's happened? Lost in thought in broad daylight?” “Hey! It was them! They just walked right past me about two minutes ago... the Thai lady who helped deliver our dinner last night!”
Even more astonished than I was, Charles laughed and asked, “Seriously? What are the odds? There are so many tourist attractions in the Netherlands. How could you possibly bump into them again?” I pursed my lips. “Shhh! My brain was ten beats too slow. By the time I finally recognized them, they had already disappeared. If only I could run into them again...” He immediately cut in, “Knowing your personality, you'd probably rush straight over and ask them to become sworn sisters, wouldn't you?” Oh dear! With so many roads leading in every direction, what were the chances of ever crossing paths with them again? I simply smiled and let the matter drop.
But who would have imagined that, after turning a corner towards another shopping center in search of a restroom, I would suddenly spot the very same Thai lady standing nearby, chatting on her phone, with the other Thai lady who had delivered our meal waiting beside her! Oh my goodness! There they were again! Without even thinking, I dashed towards them, exclaiming, “Sawasdee ka!”
The two ladies were startled by my sudden appearance. Seeing their puzzled and bewildered expressions, I became so excited that I could barely put a sentence together. “Last night... Thai food... the green-roofed house... you delivered dinner to me!” For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Eight eyes met, followed by two or three seconds of silence. Then, all four of us burst into uncontrollable laughter, exclaiming in unison: “How on earth could this be such an incredible coincidence?!” And so, naturally, the story ended with everyone exchanging stories, sharing contact details and taking a lovely group photo together.
I couldn't help telling her, “Perhaps your warm and welcoming smile has been radiating such a magnetic energy all along, drawing everyone together and bringing about this wonderful reunion!” Laughing heartily, she beamed and said, “My eldest sister has been working tirelessly as a chef for nearly twenty years. It's really not easy. Since my good friend and I are travelling together, of course I should lend a helping hand. We didn't even get to sit down and eat until 10:30 last night!” It turned out that her name was On, and she lived in Switzerland. She and her close friend, who was based in Dubai, had happened to come to the Netherlands for a week's holiday.
Ha-ha! And so, four complete strangers from different corners of the world became connected through one simple Thai meal. Yes, when people are destined to meet, even thousands of miles cannot keep them apart. And who else but the unseen hand of God could be the matchmaker, quietly weaving these invisible threads of connection? From then on, I would spontaneously share my latest updates and articles from Lithuania with On. In return, she would send me little glimpses of her life in Switzerland.
After the exhibition in Lithuania came to an end and we returned to the Netherlands, naturally, my heart was drawn back to that little green-roofed restaurant. This time, our return visit was not just about its authentic, delicious food. There was now an added warmth of personal connection.
Sometimes, words need not be many. Sincerity speaks directly to the heart. When we saw the husband-and-wife owners again, we instantly felt like long-lost members of their family. We embraced and happily snapped another lovely group photo together. Most importantly, I couldn't wait to send it to On in Switzerland as a little surprise!
Hmm... Whenever I think back on this friendship, so unexpectedly gifted by life, a warm feeling rises in my heart. Perhaps it was all simply another opportunity for me to experience, once again, a beautiful truth: The most beautiful scenery on any journey... is people!
