Musings of a Confused Soul

Incident on Wilshire

I am not completely sure which year this happened., sometime between 92 and 93. Of course, I can google it to get the exact date but that is not important for my post.

My work was just 2 or 3 blocks from where we lived. I always walked to work. You must be thinking if it is just 2 or 3 blocks why would you not walk? Good question...assuming you are thinking that my answer would be, ‘I know a lot of people who actually drive even if it is within the same block. So, there you go’.

I went home for lunch that day, as always after lunch, I was walking back to work. There was one intersection I had to cross to get to the next block where my bank was. The intersection was on famous Wilshire Blvd and Midvale/Gayley. I reached the intersection and pressed the walk signal button.

When I reached there, immediately I realized there is something weird about that time. There are no people at any of those 4 corners.’ This is not right’ I thought. At that time of the day, there are tons of people waiting to cross in all directions. But not a single soul was there except me. On top of it, there is no traffic in any direction. Odd!!

Wilshire is one of the busiest streets. I was puzzled! Not sure why I was the only one there! It felt like I crossed into another dimension through some kind of a time travel portal. I saw myself as the only living being at that intersection. It felt strange. A few seconds passed, I looked at the walk signal but it still was signaling to not walk.

I waited for a few more minutes and realized the signal was taking more time to change than usual.

All of a sudden,… I hear this strange sound. Goooooooooooo…or was it Roooooooo…or may be woooooooom!…well, I don’t know how to write a sound itself but whatever it was it was really an alerting sound and loud. The sound was neither from an ambulance nor from a cop car.

All kinds of thoughts were going through my mind in that short time period.

“What was going on? Earthquake alert? Did I go to a different zone? Am I dreaming? Was there a nuclear attack? Am I the only one who survived? What life forms exist now? How do I live without people? etc, etc..” I am sure you can tell I am a sci-fi freak.

This is where my friends would say “ Aruna you are not just a sci-fi freak you are a freak period.” Ke Ke Ke.?

Talking about being a freak…sci-fi that is, have you ever wondered? Isn’t our human brain a miracle? Can you imagine what we can achieve if we can use the whole brain? Well on second thought, maybe it is a good thing we don’t get to use it more than 3% (debatable). Especially, after seeing that new movie ‘Lucy’, Yep…I would rather we have our brains the way we do now. No change. OH PLEASE GOD, no change.

Okay, I deviate as always… The sound was followed by a motorcade. They were all going in a slow motion. I shook my head and started to stare at all those motorcycles passing me by.

At that point, I realized what was going on. Some political figure such as a Senator or a Governor is probably going through! Or maybe a really famous movie star? Wait…, I am not in a country where people go crazy about movie stars to even commit suicide. Movie stars here don’t get that kind of a treatment.

While thinking that, I saw several shiny limousines following the motorcycles in a slow motion. Following those limousines a few yards behind, there is this particular vehicle that caught my eye. I fixed my gaze on it not expecting anything. In that limousine this man who was sitting at the back on the right side with the windows open, and waving his hand while watching me, with a smile as that vehicle came closer and closer. He waved his hand and started to waive until he passed me by. He was waving at me! Just me! No one else was there.

It took me a fraction of a second to realize who it was, waving his hand towards me.

I was so enthralled and waved back at him until my hand hurt and I kept waving to the back of the vehicle even after it passed through several yards. Can anyone guess who that was? Yes, sir...it was our then-president George Bush the senior! 

 

Comments

09.06.2021 11:06

shyamala

Oh wow really? Awesome 👍👍

11.06.2021 22:06

Aruna

I know right? I still can't believe that happened to me and just me at that moment.