I want to share a story that happened to me that I have been pondering for over a month.

It was the end of the semester and I found myself in the seating area in front of the coffee shops at university. I like sitting in there because the lighting isn’t too bright, I love the smell of coffee, and the tables are perfect for me to get out my laptop and go about my normal computer-y business.

That particular day I went in for my 9:20 class, but my professor ended up letting us leave as soon as we turned in our projects. That was the last class meeting, and my next class wasn’t until 2:45, so I tucked in at the coffee shop. And, being the week before finals when most of my work was due, I did what any sensible student would: fired up Team Fortress 2 on my laptop using Steam for Linux.

I sat there and played games, listened to music, and watched TV for a few hours. All the while, I took notice of the girl at the table adjacent to me. In the interest of telling the story accurately I will describe her: dark-haired, well-dressed, and absolutely stunning. I think I would describe her as a classier, younger Amanda Peet. She had been there since I had arrived, her laptop open, textbooks spread across the table, and in intense ‘I’ve got to study to ace my finals’ mode.

Typical, everyday college life. Then, this happened:

I notice motion out of the corner of my eye, and I think perhaps someone is trying to get my attention. I take my earbuds out and turn my head, only to be surprised to see the girl is waving in my direction, and I’m the only one around. No way, I think; then she starts talking to me.

“I’ve got to run to the bathroom, would you care to watch my stuff?”

“Sure,” I replied, as any kind person would. She then got up and walked to the restroom.

Perhaps the story isn’t quite as enthralling as Harry Potter, but I will explain why it is so perplexing, and why it has left me thinking so much the past several weeks.

I was a complete stranger. I had never met the girl any time in my entire life. I could be a serial rapist, an axe murderer, a thief, or any other generic flavor of criminal mastermind. Not only did she feel comfortable talking to me, a stranger, and asking a favor (albeit a very small, insignificant one), but she got up and took it on faith that I would protect her possessions.

I, a complete stranger, could have easily been the exact person that she was wanting to protect her belongings from. I could have, at any point, gone over and picked up $1000+ of stuff and walked right out the door. But, of course, I didn't, and never would in a million years- but she didn't know that.

How did she know that I was trustworthy? Why did she feel comfortable trusting me? Would I trust some random person to watch my laptop? The answer is no. You see, I had to use the restroom that day, too, but I didn’t ask anyone to guard my belongings; instead, I folded up my laptop, tucked it in my backpack, and slung the backpack across my shoulders.

In the end, she returned to find her belongings exactly how she had left them. She gave me a thankful look, and returned a polite thank-you wave.

I am still baffled by this social interaction. She was quite lovely, though.