#also 15 year old girl sitting down near drunk unknown to her man wasn't the brightest idea probably

[karlyuchka]

I wanna share a little story of what happened with me on evening of 23th February 2022. Approximately 10 hours before full-scale invasion.

A long time I was visiting french classes in Kyiv (in Institu français) and I was returning home in late evening. The road was taking like an hour, bus ride was forty minutes.

I entered the bus like always and saw that it was almost full. Also I heard arguing. Apparently there was a drunk man in the back of the bus and a woman didn't wanna sit near him (understandable tbh). Even though he was drunk, he wasn't really doing anything, so I said that I would sit with him.

Then we started talking (wich isn't really good in the bus and we probably annoyed people around, but no one actually complained). I don't remember who started this conversation, but it was extremely interesting actually.

Before we departed the driver also said that this man didn't pay, which was weird because the driver didn't do anything to throw the drunk dude out.

So I asked him why and how he didn't pay and he said that he actually took part in war in ATO zone, so he can use public transport for free. He even showed me documents that prove it. At first I actually wanted to take it to examine closer, but then he said that no, he wanted only to show it.

I also thought that he was together with another man who was sitting near him, but no I was wrong.

He also gave a weird thing to hold, I forgot how he called it. It was black, kinda small, but very heavy for its size. So basically a type of dumbbell.

Then he talked about life in general and for someone who was drunk, he was extremely articulated and things that he said were actually pretty deep.

Sometimes when I do nothing I suddenly remember him and wonder what happened to him and where he is now. He already went through war, he was drunk in the late evening and the morning he wakes up he discovers that full-scale war started? What did he think at that moment? What did he feel? Did he join the armed forces the second time? I don't even know his name, but I can't help but wonder and worry about him. I don't know where he lives. Is he even alive right now? It's crazy how much I think about someone who is almost unknown to me. He probably doesn't even remember how we talked...

I just hope he's okay right now...