Fate

Sometimes, it's like my life sorta plays out by itself.  Weird.

Tonight, after work (and I worked late, until 7!) I couldn't decide if I were going to go to a musical (The Wiz) or not.
I left work and boarded the bus, still not decided.  I was on the 80, it didn't pause long at the bus station before continuing, so I stayed on to ride around the bend to Arundle Gate.  I'd decided at this point not to go to the theatre as there wasn't time to grab food before the show.

But by a quirk of fate, the bus went up High Street (I didn't think the 80's did circulars anymore?).  This meant the bus dropped me off right outside McDonalds.   So I popped in and grabbed a quick bite.

I hurried over to the theatre and was just in time to get a ticket and a seat.  (It was free seating so I chose a nice seat in the third row with no one in front of me.  

The show was... well, if you want to read that, you'll have to wait until I finish writing my 'review' on theatre_cass .

At the end of the show, while we were all sitting in the dark waiting for the stagehand to remember to bring the house lights back up, they announce that the buses to Shirecliffe were waiting outside for the parents and students.  And it hit me.  THAT's why the school name sounded familiar.  Parkwood High School is the one just by my house.  I probably could have got a ride in the coach but didn't want to ask.

So, I head to the bus stop, where a well dressed man (older than me) is waiting with a briefcase.  He looks cold.  We wait a while and I comment on the weather.  We start talking, and it turns out he's from Bristol.  The bus arrives.  We board.

Here's the weird bit.  We keep talking while the bus waits (apparently it was waiting because another bus driver needed a lift home).  He says he's in town for a course.  Now I'm confused.  There's nowhere he could be staying that this bus would take him to that isn't Hillsborough.  And you'd take a much easier bus (or the Tram!) if you were in Hillsborough.  So.... I ask where he's staying.  He gives me a bit of colour about how really crap the area he's staying in is... I'm more confused.  The areas this bus goes through are pretty residental and boring.  And then he says 'at the top of Darnall.' and everything clicks.  He's on the wrong bus.  Waited for the right bus in the wrong direction.
He hurredly gets off the bus.

It's like all the events of the evening were working to make sure I was there to help this poor soul avoid going hours out of his way getting back to his hotel.  And make sure the bus stayed at the stop long enough for me to realise it and let him change buses.

Weird.

P.S. Even weirder?  The Library Theatre serves alcohol in the interval. 
P.P.S. And I didn't have any.