Thursday was my fourth day of my new way to work....since I moved to the other end of this lovely island, known as Rusonovka. I got back from work on the metro and decided I would take a marshutka back to my neighborhood.
Easier said than done, perhaps..... I knew the #48 marshutka goes around the island and have ridden it before. I also know the #248 bus.... However, I did not see either at the bus stop....Only several others, one of which was #249 marshutka.... I tentatively stuck my head in and asked "Rusonovka"? Da, was the response.... So I hopped on, unsure, but figuring oh, well, may as well find out where this one goes... (it was about 10:45 p.m.)
As we passed my first potential stop, my side street, I thought, oh this one goes around the loop of the island on the big streets..... Oops, not quite...It went past the island, and on to an exit....that looked like we were going to the freeway....uh oh...
A lady could see my confusion, and maybe I said something, so she started chattering away in Russian to me, trying to be helpful.... Another one chimed in...I said Russian, nyet....
Turns out a young man asked me in English....do you need help? Where are you going? We conversed....I told him my story... and he and his two girl friends got off the marshsutka with me and walked me to my place.
We ended getting off at the edge of the island a street over from the bridge I used to cross to go to work. It was icy and we were walking along and I slipped and crashed right on my well padded butt..... Ow....They helped me up and we chatted as we walked across the island to my apartment building. I thanked them again, and they assured me it was no problem, they like to help English speakers. How's that for lucky?
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