Nesodden, Norway. I was sitting on the bus on the way in to town. This was in 2023. I sat in front on the right, I like sitting there because it is over the wheel well and can put my feet up on the curve of steel that covers it. There is also a small heater on the wall and on a winters day I put a thick scarf over my knees to trap its warmth under my legs.

I have a habit of daydreaming, constructing situations in my head and this day was no different. My mind strays and suddenly I am somewhere else.

This day my mind wandered off, but I was still in the same place; the bus. I was in a scene exactly where I sat. The bus stopped and a woman got on. She paid the driver, walked past me and as she got abreast she hesitated a second. Then she walked on. After some seconds she returned, turned to me and asked: “Do you mind if I sit next to you?” I looked around and the bus was empty, why did she need to sit beside me?

The scene ended and the bus rolled on.

After five minutes the bus stopped and a woman got on. She paid the driver, walked past me and as she got abreast the hesitated a second. Then she walked on. After some seconds she returned, turned to me and asked: “Do you mind if I sit next to you?” I looked around and the bus was empty, why did she need to sit beside me?

But I answered, “no, of course.”

She sat down next to me. She was in her forties, tall, a strapping woman. “I hope you don’t mind?” “You see, I’m a journalist and I recognised you. I’ve always wanted to interview you.”

She talked for a while and when we got to the ferry we parted ways, after exchanging our details.

Out on the water I thought back on what had just happened. How had I imagined a situation exactly, five minutes before it occurred in real life? I still don’t know. But the woman was real, she emailed me after some days. I weighed up the idea of telling her what had happened, but decided she would think I was making it up and decided against.