SHE THANKED ME...
One foot on the sidewalk and the other, already stepping forward, on the road. The light was still red, but she wavered between prudence and haste. Cars came from both directions, and it wasn’t easy to time the gap between them to reach the other side without a jolt. When it comes to children or elderly people, my rule is always to wait for the green light, even if no cars are passing. I believe that, in doing so, I both set an example and respect the other person’s freedom to choose as they see fit. In this case, the woman muttered something under her breath: she was torn between risking it or waiting. She looked at me as if asking for advice. And while I was still thinking of an answer, the little green man of the traffic light cleared the doubt for both of us. We crossed side by side, and the woman, in a very low voice and staring at the ground, as if it had nothing to do with me, murmured an address without daring to frame it as a direct question. Without stopping, I pointed her in...