Three Parts

Le bon Dieu est dans le detail 

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I could tell it was about to rain; the sky was overcast and the wind had picked up. I was already on the verge of being late for my lecture and now I had to deal with my umbrella turning inside out or being blown away. I was in the middle of praying that the bus would arrive before raindrops started falling when I spotted a man approaching the bus stop from the other side of the street.

He was walking in a leisurely manner as if completely unperturbed by the turbulent weather. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a hoodie. I would like to give a better description but the only thing that really stood out was how average he looked. Black greasy hair of average length, average stature, slightly overgrown stubble. His sleeves were rolled up revealing hairy arms that were thick but not over-developed, unlike those guys who spend their lives pumping iron in the gym. His complexion suggested an exotic origin or recent travelling. He had wrinkles on his forehead and around the corners of his eyes. If I had to guess, he looked to be around 30. His gait and posture indicated he would've been more comfortable in a hard hat and fluorescent jacket than dressed in a white collar, but his eyes possessed an intelligent quality about them. As I was about to examine further, his eyes inadvertently met mine, at which point I knew I had made a huge mistake. As I continued my facade of politely ignoring my neighbour, I watched peripherally as the following events transpired, as if in slow motion. Fantastic, not only do I have to wait for the bus in this miserable condition, now I have to make small talk as well. These thoughts ran through my head as he, with an unwavering gaze fixated singularly upon me, leaned in casually.

Hey   [he says]

Hi      [I turn my head for a second and pretend to smile]

  Terrible weather, huh
[His accent confirms that he's not from around here. It's not heavy to the point of being off-putting, just rather obvious.]     
   Yeah

               But if you think about it, I mean, plants need to drink as well  
[great. he was one of those people]

 Hah ha  yeah     I guess so

undeterred by my wall of courteous indifference, or perhaps just oblivious, he offers another attempt at eliciting conversation

The weather should improve by tomorrow

Yeah   I sure hope so

Don't worry   it will

at this point, I stare at him for a bit. He continues to look up at the sky innocuously

Are you a   weather expert    by any chance?

 Mm? Oh no I just have a way of knowing these things.

I nod unconvincingly

   I do take an interest in it, though    the sky, the weather.

[his cryptic declaration prompted further investigation. without meaning to, I ask him]

what do you do, exactly?

I then realize how rude the question sounded, but he doesn't seem offended, or at least doesn't show it. He is silent for a while as if contemplating the answer

    At the moment, a bit of everything, really    you know, odd jobs  here and there       I usually just do whatever people need me to  

I nod again, wondering why people are so reluctant to utter the word 'unemployed'. "Between jobs right now", "I work for myself" Just say it, for goodness sake. I glance down at my watch. 8.50. The bus is late. It'd take a miracle to get there on time. Thankfully, just as I look up for the hundredth time, the bus finally rolls into view. I reach for my wallet to get the fare ready. As I unzip the coin compartment, an uneasy feeling overtakes me. Sure enough, a ghastly sight awaits me - not enough coins. I look up in disbelief and down again at the wallet in despair. My distress must be obvious because my waiting companion looks over and enquires,

Problem?

[I look nervously towards the bus, looming closer and closer]
Tchh yeah    I forgot to bring enough change [I run my hand through my hair in frustration and start pacing awkwardly in half-steps in front of the bus stop]

 Hey no worries [He says in a relaxed tone, without pretense or hesitation]   I can lend you some

[I turn to him, eyebrows raised. Who would've guessed that this sloppily dressed foreigner would be the harbinger of my salvation.]
Really?    that would be awesome actually   thank you so much [I cannot hide my gratitude. My words are so genuine that I'm afraid they'll expose the half-heartedness in my prior responses]

The bus slows down to a stop and the doors slide open just as I manage to procure the amount I need. As the coins clink satisfyingly into the slot, I hear the swooshing of the bus door as it closes behind me.

 Uh, excuse me [I say to the driver in a tone of calculated nonchalance and urgency] I think there's still someone waiting to get on.

The driver cranes his neck to look behind me. As I turn to do the same, I hear the driver say with a perplexed expression mixed with annoyance, 'There's no one else back there, mate.' True enough, the space that was just occupied behind me is now astonishingly vacant.

Oh he   must've gone somewhere [I say, confused and apologetically]

The driver shakes his head and does that thing with his mouth that drivers do when they're getting fed up.
I saw you as I came up. You were the only one there, mate.

Still not fully comprehending the situation, I slowly make my way towards the back of the bus, not bothering to dodge the glances of the other passengers who had seen the scene unravel. I heave myself into the last row of seats, still trying to figure out what had just happened. Left with no other choice, I pull out my notebook and begin to jot down an account of my brief and uncanny encounter with the enigmatic stranger. 'I could tell it was about to rain...

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SO WHAT IF IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE