DC is all about the cultural experiences. So, when my friend Josiah, from the American Studies Program, suggested we go to a classical concert at the art gallery I thought it would be fun. Of course, nothing went right.
We get to the bus stop 10 minutes before the bus comes, or so we thought. It was gray outside, and the clouds were threatening to pour. We waited awhile, and thought it must be running late. Josiah had remember that he had forgotten he had no money on his Metro card, and quickly ran back to get some change. Then we look on the bus stop post, Josiah had looked up the Saturday schedule. We had to wait another 20 minutes.
Eventually, the bus came we almost sit on the back and see some green stain on the seat. Thankfully, we didn’t sit there. We safely arrived at our location, and walked in the decent drizzle of rain to the gallery.
The doors were locked. A man along with a guard walk up to the glass door and says something.
“What? We cannot hear you.”
Another lady, and then another man walk up to the door. The man on the other side tried to say something again. Finally, the guard realized that this would last forever and opened the door a crack. The man hesitantly peaked his head out and rudely said, “There are no more seats. We have a full house. I just looked and there isn’t a single seat.”
“Can we stand?”
“No. There are no seats. I just checked”
Naturally, the sky had followed through with it’s threat it was pouring. Well, mine as well make it worth our trip. Coffee sounded good, of course being down town Starbucks seemed like an unsatisfactory option. We walk around a bit pass a Starbucks and some gelato places, but it was too cold. We keep walking, optimistic that something has to be around. We end up at Starbucks. Order our drinks, and find there is no place to sit, even though there it’s two stories.
We walk to Dunkin’ Donuts. At least, we can get a donut, which might raise our spirits and drink coffee in warmth. A homeless man kept asking Josiah for money, who had to repeatedly explain he had no cash.
We ate our donuts and walked to the nearest D6 route bus stop. We find a stop, and use an retails awning for shelter from the rain. I looked up the estimated arrival on my phone, 21 minutes.
There is another Starbucks on the corner, not just any Starbucks though. Flashback, when I took the D6 to my internship I always passed this Starbucks downtown. It was open and brick and in a nice location. I really wanted to go here, and was excited when I realized I was entering it, even though it had been a rough night.
We go to sit down near a window. “Excuse ma’am. I need to clean this table. We are closing that’s why everyone is leaving,” said the Starbucks employee.
It was only 7:30. What Starbucks closes at 7:30?
We go back to our awning and wait.
“Well, at least this night can’t get any worse,” said Josiah. “Why did I just say that.”
Finally, the bus arrives. Josiah pulls out his dollar. We get on the bus. I search through my purse pulling out as many coins as I can find to make a 70 cents. We get to 60 and the bus driver tells us just to sit down. We laugh and venture to the back of the bus only to find the same uncertain green stain and laughed.
I look at my umbrella and realize it’s broken. Once we arrive at our stop we walked carefully to the apartment unscathed from the nights unsuccessful events.
