Another Place To Fall

Here's an interesting story I never got around to telling people, about a guy I barely know.

This guy and I met on an anthropology trip in the beginning of October. I was the only one who went that wasn't in his class, so we didn't really talk much. I don't even really know his name, nor does he know mine. The trip was to Ellis Island, so it wasn't until we were standing in some horrendously long line for a ferry that we really spoke at all. The conversation was light but easy, and I remember laughing a few times. After the trip, we went our seperate ways. But ever since then, I see him at 10:45 every other day, sitting in a hallway waiting for a class. He listens to his ipod as I put on gloves and walk down the hall, and every time we see each other, we both smile and wave. Last week his class let in early, and I realized that he hung back by the door for an extra few seconds, turned to smile and wave to me, and then disappeared inside the classroom. It was one of those "my faith in humanity is restored" sort of moments. It makes me sad to realize that the semester is going to end next week, and I probably won't get to see him anymore.