The Man Who Loved Everybody

A Modern Parable About Serendipity

He entered the plane, sat down in his favorite aisle seat, and pulled out his journal, sipping his mineral water.

"The whole row to myself," he smiled.

"Excuse me," said a young lady, "I'm in the window seat."

She sat down, adjusted her mineral water, and pulled out her journal.

She began writing.

The man who loved everybody could not help but notice.

She took note too.

They wrote a few lines, peered at each other, wrote a few more lines, peered over again.

Finally, they shook their heads and smiled at each other as if the universe was playing.

"What were you doing in Panama?" she asked.

He answered.

"And you?" he asked.

"Oh, my father owns a lot of land there. We have a place by the sea. It is so beautiful."

She paused, taking him in. "Maybe we could go there sometime and have some fun in the sea."

He laughed and turned a little red.

Thought of his two boys and his beautiful wife.

Time flew. Soon they arrived.

They walked off the plane together. She needed to change planes for Montreal.

She waited for him to ask for her number as they parted, as if it was expected, as if this was meant to be.

"It was nice meeting you," he said.

Her face twisted subtly. Her eyes spoke silently.

"It was nice meeting you too."

Then she walked away into the pulsating crowd.

A story by Pemba Umoja