Angels at the last minute!

I wanted to go back to Sydney. I boarded the train heading towards Central Brisbane with thoughts flooding my mind: Find a travel agent and book a cheap flight back to sydney. What had I been thinking? Why did I even leave in the first place? There is no poetry here, it’s too wet for poetry. Sunshine state? Lies I tell you. It’s rained every day here. I want to go back to my new friends. I’m not finished there. Not at all.

I took a seat next to a girl in a long purple skirt. She looked up at me when I had boarded the train, and moved over to make room. I took out a book and began to read. She began to read too. Then, in a typical Jess manner, I dropped all the contents of my purse on the floor of the train. Notebook, scrap paper, pens, plastic kangaroo, street map, wallet. I scrambled to put it all back in my purse and she watched, amused. “Going to work today?” she asked, and gave me a genuine smile. She smelled like sage and lavendar, and it reminded me of Arizona. I explained to her that I didn’t have a “normal” job. I told her I had no plans for today (Except for escaping this isolated rain-desert! Shouted my brain.) She took out a flyer for a yoga studio and suggested I check out some classes there, as everyone knows yoga is a great way to meet people. I examined the flyer eagerly, and she showed me the address on my map. “I can take you there if you’d like, I’m actually going there right now.”

And that is how I met Angela. A name suitable, for not only did she take me to the yoga studio, she showed me the public library and showed me a tiny hole in the wall vegetarian restaurant where she worked. As I walked in, a red banner reading “Hare Krishna” stared back at me from the far wall. Having spent a substantial amount of time in New York City, I was well aware of who the Hare Krishnas were, and entered the room with a bit of anxiety. They were nice enough people, I knew, but at first I felt unsure of Angela’s motives. Was she trying to recruit me? Was she trying to get me to buy their book? But something told me to enter and embrace this new person in my life. I pushed aside my silly fears and joined her in a meal. And man, what a meal it was. Quite possibly the best vegetarian food I’ve ever had. And such great company! I realized in an instant that I shouldn’t have judged this girl based on her religion, and more importantly, it was beconing clear that she was a nice person by nature, not by her religious beliefs. We talked about vegetarianism, and she looked at me shocked and sad when I told her I accept anything that is given to me, meat or otherwise. “Better not to waste” I said. “True” she replied “But better not to kill the animal in the first place. It’s just that they suffer so much.”

After the most wonderous meal I’ve had in a long time, we walked about for a bit more. She introduced me to some of her friends. Over the next few days I met more and more of her friends, both devotees and yoga practitioners alike. All welcoming, all at peace. No one asked me about my religion. No one tried to sell me anything. No one criticized me or made me feel like an outsider. All I felt was acceptance and peace. The man who owned the vegetarian restaurant recognized my face and gave me a discount “a friend of Angela’s get’s a discount” he said the first time. The second time he just smiled and gave me too much change. I thanked him whole heartidly. What a wonderful, loving community!

I attended a yoga class, and was blown away. It lasted for about an hour, and was perhaps one of the best activities I have participated in while here in Australia. I emerged from the studio mind clear, and…. Stomach rumbling! What on earth was that delicious smell? Oh yes, I had forgotten- dinner was included with each yoga class. Each yoga student took a place at a table and was served a delicious vegetarian meal that seemed to glow with color and vitality. I sat down next to a woman in a red linen dress. She poured me tea and asked where I was from (alas I cannot hide my foriegner status here.. my accent gives it all away). I told her about my travels and my intention of going to the Woodford Folk Festival the following week. Eager with excietement “Oh I’ve gone every year, every year since I have been able to go. Oh you’ll love it you’ll LOVE it! The music, the art, the poetry!” I told her I was commuting the first three days and asked her if she thought it would be a problem. She explained that although it wouldn’t be a problem at all, that the train and bus were simple to figure out, she had a tent I could borrow if I were so inclined to camp out. She gave me her name and phone number, and we planned to meet up on the 27th (the first day of the festival and, coincidentally, her birthday).

A few days later I received a text message from her. “hello angel, the tent is yours if you need it. See you soon!!”

Angel indeed.