If the Bus Is Late

Nadia has a job interview at ten o'clock in central London. It's the job she really wants. Last night she planned everything. "If the bus is late, I'll take the Tube," she said to her sister. "If the Tube stops, I'll run. Unless something strange happens, I'll be there at nine thirty."

At eight o'clock she is at the bus stop. The bus arrives on time. Nadia smiles. Plan A is working. But after five minutes, the bus stops. A lorry is blocking the road, and nobody knows for how long.

"Fine," Nadia thinks. "Plan B." She gets off and walks to the Tube station. On the platform, a voice says: "There are no trains on this line this morning. We're sorry." Nadia looks at her watch. Nine o'clock. Plan C.

She starts to run. She runs past a park, a church and a hundred coffee shops. At nine twenty-five, she is one street away. Then something strange happens. A man in a gray suit runs past her. He drops a folder, and his papers fly everywhere.

Nadia stops. If she helps him, she'll be late. If she doesn't help him, she'll feel terrible all day. She picks up the papers. The man says thank you and runs into the same building as Nadia.

At ten o'clock, Nadia walks into the interview room. The man in the gray suit is sitting behind the desk. "Hello again," he says. "I think you've already passed the first test."