Rosemary Bryant

“Would you like some help with your luggage?” I stared at the young woman who was uttering these words to me. I hesitated as I am naturally and maybe unrealistically, too independent. I was walking from the airbridge following an interstate flight. I use a walking stick and was walking at my usual slow gait in my ongoing efforts to remain upright. I was plodding along sticking

to the side to allow the other more agile and maybe impatient travellers to pass me.

A few minutes earlier, when I turned on my mobile phone there was a text message awaiting me from Raj my usual Indian taxi driver. We had known each other for some years when I first retired and was working part time interstate. He or his mates would deliver me to and from the airport. The purpose of the text was to tell me that the weather was bad in Melbourne and would I l like him to pick me up on the upper departures level of the air terminal? That way I would not need to walk to the usual pick-up spot across the road from the terminal and as an added bonus I would not need to use my umbrella. He understands that walking with a walking stick and a wheeled bag means that there is no free hand for an umbrella. His suggestion is not really within the strict rules for traffic in the airport precinct. My mind was concentrating on this issue as I was keen to assess the weather situation and did not want him to flout the rules if it could be avoided. My trips to and from the airport with him have over the years opened my eyes to the daily life of the immigrant population in particular the Indian immigrants. We have shared the ups and downs of each other’s lives. With my health background, he was keen to tell me about his young daughter’s treatment for leukaemia and their experiences in the hospital.

The young woman was clearly one of the more agile crowd and to me she appeared out of nowhere but obviously had observed me on her way out as she passed me. “Yes, that would be very helpful. Thank you very much.” I replied after a pause and with that she slowed down and walked the short distance to the luggage carousel alongside me. She was wearing a jacket and jeans and had a backpack and long dark hair tied back. She wore no makeup. Thus, she was indistinguishable from the majority of her peers who frequent the university precincts in Melbourne. What caught my attention though were her eyes which were dark and enquiring yet somehow soft and kindly at the same time. I was intrigued by her approach and her prescience that I both had luggage and would appreciate assistance with it. Or perhaps she thought I looked particularly vulnerable. “Do you live here in Melbourne?” I enquired. “Yes, I am an international student.” She added the name of a large university. “What are you studying?” was my next question. Her answer discombobulated me. “I am studying a Master’s Degree in Cyber Security.” Wow I thought! I have never met anyone in such a cutting-edge field. This response set off a number of questions from me and it turned out that she had spent the previous couple of days at a space conference in Adelaide where Australia’s space agency is located. Her goal is to work in the space industry either in Australia or in her native India. Between her part time job and the demands of study, she has little time for socialising. She needs to work as there is little left over from her scholarship after her tuition fees are paid. Fortunately, she has a position in a space firm which no doubt enhances her career prospects.

Wow I thought again! What an interesting encounter. I was impressed with her determination and enthusiasm for her course and the opportunities she faced once she graduated. As a woman born in the 1940s, a career such as this was unimaginable. Her bag arrived first and then following the appearance of mine she asked me if I needed help with a taxi which I declined. She raced off as I thanked her and wished her good luck.

As it was not raining, I then made my way to the pick-up spot and was soon in the taxi with Raj. I caught up with the latest on his family. He is very close to his mother in India and his extended family and friends there. We discussed the re-election of President Modi but he was reluctant to be drawn too far into a political discussion. He is an enthusiastic Australian now and has embraced our way of life albeit through an Indian lens.

I reflected that our Australian society and culture is composed of so many communities such as the Indian community. We are told that Australia is the most successful multicultural community in the world. With encounters such as these I can see why.

Copyright Rosemary Bryant February 2025. All rights reserved; this intellectual property belongs solely to Rosemary Bryant.