Waiting for the Bus
Iker walked up to the bus stop and checked the time on his phone. It should be here soon, he thought. There was a small bench at the bus stop, but an older man was sitting on it, his bag next to him. He was reading a newspaper and looked as if he didn't want to be bothered.
Iker waited and waited. There was no sign of the bus. His feet were tired. He had walked nearly two miles to the bus stop and all he wanted was to sit, but he was afraid of bothering the man on the bench.
Where is that bus? he wondered. He decided that, at the very least, he would ask the man if this was the correct bus stop.
"Excuse me, sir," Iker said. "Is the M-72 bus running today?"
"Yes," the man answered. "I'm waiting for the same one. Runs late sometimes. Makes a lot of stops."
The man's tone wasn't exactly friendly, but it wasn't unfriendly, either. Iker decided to ask him for a seat. "Sorry to bother you again, but would you mind moving over? I'm exhausted and would love to sit down."
"Of course," the man replied, scooting over and putting the bag on his lap.
The two started talking and realized that they lived just one block away from each other. They had also gone to the same elementary school, only forty years apart. A few minutes later, the bus pulled up.
"Pleasure talking to you," the man told Iker as they boarded. "I rarely have any company at this bus stop."
Iker smiled. He hadn't expected to make an acquaintance that day, but he was glad he did.
Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?