It was raining outside, it was mostly close to the weather I had loved whole my life

It was raining outside, it was mostly close to the weather I had loved whole my life. However, this time the sweeping cold and wet waves scared me. I was there amidst a bunch of strangers in a random country without any identification, let alone thermals. It had to be me living one of the scariest dreams so far. I tried hard and focus on gathering myself and seeking information. I saw a bus driver right behind where my bus was standing. He was the person who had earlier directed me to the washroom when I got down from my bus to Stuttgart at Baden-Baden station, leaving everything along with my passport on the bus.

I went and asked the driver to help me, he suggested we try calling the bus agency, only to our dismay they refused to respond. By this time I was in all tears, crying and working hard to keep myself all strengthened, alas it was of no use. This bus driver connected me with the police, and I wanted to cry my all heart aloud, but I convinced myself to calm down and explain all the details to the police. The policeman on the phone was really nice and warm, and asked me to wait there at the present spot meanwhile they try to locate my luggage or I could choose to go at their police station and wait there; he told me the address, and of course, it was difficult for me to pronounce or remember. Soon this kind bus driver had to leave, and I was again alone there. I felt scared and unsafe staying there and thus decided to go to this police station. But remember I don’t remember the exact address, so I google nearest police station on my phone. It is raining and getting colder as evening is drawing closer. It was around one km walk to the nearest one, and I find a weird guy stopping his car across the way asking me why I was walking in rains without any umbrellas, proper shoes or a jacket. He suggested me to drop me at the place I was walking up to. I am clueless and still unable to understand what is happening, and I just sit in his car whining about my luggage loss, and how I wanted him to drop me to the nearest police station. He seemed to be puzzled, but nevertheless, the police station is very near, he dropped me there. But this place is closed, so I try calling that helpful policeman again, and this time I got the address. It was some two and a half km away from, and I start walking up till there. While I am walking it starts raining heavily and I am fully drenched in the rain, I try to get a lift, but no one understood my language. I ended up walking through the muddy ways in my thin sweater, and yes, I used this spare walking time to cry. I reach the police station and now there is a relief and feeling of safety about the place. I see the policeman, and one of his colleagues comes and requests me to share everything with her. She was kind enough to close the doors and switch on the heater. I waited there for some time, and my clothes had dried, and I was no longer shivering. They told me once they find my things, they will drop me to the station. But out of a sudden, they asked me if I knew someone here who could speak German, and I gave my supervisor’s number. They ask me if I wanted a coffee and allowed me inside the police station for using the washrooms. All the policemen were kind enough to pass a smile whenever they went by. They inform me that they had called my supervisor and he is going to drive all this way to drop me home. I felt relieved and sad about causing him so much trouble. My parents called to check if I had reached Stuttgart, so I told them all about this and that now everything was under control.

He arrived, and I started laughing, he was confused; probably thinking how this girl smile even now. But then I had such an immense belief on him that I was finally assured that I am completely safe now. Police informed us that they stopped the bus, but they did not find anything in it. And that we had to contact the bus company for my luggage. I had already done that while sitting there at the Police station, and it said it might take up to one month. 

The drive back was peaceful and calm, and my supervisor suggested to drive back to his place and write a complaint with the bus and block my cards. I was tired, but then his home was more calming. I met his family, and he showed me my thesis, which he had corrected. For all this while, I just forgot everything, it felt like home. I ate some food there, and it was one of the best meals I ever had. He asked me to call my flatmate to be awake and open the door; remember because there is no luggage, not even the keys to my house. He dropped me at the door, my flatmate opened the door, and I realised I had also locked my room’s door. But my flatmate’s room keys were similar to that of mine and finally, I was able to reach my room. I wanted to sleep, but now when I was faced with my own self, sleep was far away. I was scared, sad and regretful at the same time. But I had my mid-semester evaluation in less than a week, so I had to sleep. Soon, I received they had found something similar to my luggage, and they will verify it and send it to me. 

Next few days, I was working till late, still penniless, and clueless about my things. My mid-semester evaluation went well, and now I had to gather all of this together. One of my acquaintances helped me to get out of this, of course, my parents had called him. All this while I did not know if the bank will allow me to withdraw the money without my card, but yes they did, and finally I had some money. I immediately repaid the borrowed money for lunch to my colleagues and felt a little contented. Next day being my birthday, I celebrated it buying groceries and making a new key for my place.