Yesterday morning when I arrived at work, as I was sitting in my car gathering my things, an old homeless black woman had pushed her shopping cart of stuff in front of my car and was watching me. I got out of the car and got my backpack from the back seat. As I was doing this, the was pointing at my car and mumbling something about it. After putting it on and locking the doors, I asked her what she had said. She repeated what she said, but I still had trouble understanding her since she was mumbling and running her words together.
She then pointed to something in the distance behind me and said "Look behind you." I turned and looked in the direction she was pointing and looked back at her. She then warned, "Watch out for the Korean woman".
"Okay," I said, confused.
Pointing at me she said, "You are Japanese. You are ichiban." Ichiban is Japanese for number one.
She then pulled out a yellow and clear vinyl purse and opened it up. Digging in it, she said, "I came here to give you a present." She then pulled out a seashell (pictured below) and handed it to me. At first I was going to refuse it, but decided to take it. When I opened my hand, she placed it in my hand and then clasped both her hands around mine. Looking into my eyes. She again said, "You are ichiban. You are special."
"Thank you for the gift." I said.
She let go of my hands and started bowing to me repeating "ichiban" and "special" over and over. I figured now would be a good time to leave.
"Thank you," I repeated. "And have a good day."
I walked off and crossed the street to go to work. Once across the street, she started yelling at me. "You are special. I love you. I love you."
I waved back at her and walked to where a group of coworkers were sitting having a smoke. One of them asked, "Who was that?" I turned and looked at the homeless woman walking further down the road, pushing her shopping cart.
Shrugging, I said, "I don't know. She gave me this." I held up the seashell for them to see.
One of my coworkers said, "I don't recall ever seeing her around here before."
The thought the whole episode was rather bizarre.
Here is the seashell she gave me.
She then pointed to something in the distance behind me and said "Look behind you." I turned and looked in the direction she was pointing and looked back at her. She then warned, "Watch out for the Korean woman".
"Okay," I said, confused.
Pointing at me she said, "You are Japanese. You are ichiban." Ichiban is Japanese for number one.
She then pulled out a yellow and clear vinyl purse and opened it up. Digging in it, she said, "I came here to give you a present." She then pulled out a seashell (pictured below) and handed it to me. At first I was going to refuse it, but decided to take it. When I opened my hand, she placed it in my hand and then clasped both her hands around mine. Looking into my eyes. She again said, "You are ichiban. You are special."
"Thank you for the gift." I said.
She let go of my hands and started bowing to me repeating "ichiban" and "special" over and over. I figured now would be a good time to leave.
"Thank you," I repeated. "And have a good day."
I walked off and crossed the street to go to work. Once across the street, she started yelling at me. "You are special. I love you. I love you."
I waved back at her and walked to where a group of coworkers were sitting having a smoke. One of them asked, "Who was that?" I turned and looked at the homeless woman walking further down the road, pushing her shopping cart.
Shrugging, I said, "I don't know. She gave me this." I held up the seashell for them to see.
One of my coworkers said, "I don't recall ever seeing her around here before."
The thought the whole episode was rather bizarre.
Here is the seashell she gave me.
cyanide81:
thats pretty strange, but interesting nontheless lol