Bus Stop

Monday evening I happened to be at the Pentagon Bus Terminal at the end of rush hour.  I had about 20 minutes until my bus came so I sat down to read a book* for the paper I'm currently writing.  As I was reading, I noticed a handsome black man trying to catch my eye.  I looked up at him and smiled.  He came over to me and asked what I was reading and then asked for the book.  I gave it to him.  His first question to me was, "are you Mormon?" I said yes.  His face immediately turned angry and disapproving.  I thought, "oh crap, he's been reading all the crazy stuff Randy Botts said in the Washington Post."  He asked me, "Why are you Mormon?" I immediately asked him what faith he was, but that didn't diffuse him.  He asked me again.  I answered him but he didn't like my answer.  He then asked me again and I answered.  At this point, my bus came and I asked for my book back because I didn't want it to end in the trash and I wanted to finish it.

As soon as I sat down on the bus, a gentleman engaged me in conversation (not that it matters, but he was black too).  He wanted to know what the other man said to me.  I told him the story and he shook his head, "Muslims, Mormons and Jews. People get so riled up over you."  He then told me to keep my head up and be proud of what I believed in and other words of encouragement.

Anyway, I've had similar things happen in the past, but never had a stranger give me a verbal pat of encouragement.  I found myself half-way wishing I was reading the book on my Kindle though.

*Dispensation: Latter Day Fiction