How a Complete Stranger Saved my Life

When I stepped nervously into the ordinary-looking house, I had no idea what impact the stranger living there would have on me. She changed my life.

When we shook hands on the deal after the ‘interview’, when she unbelievably announced that I could be her new housemate, I went weak at the knees with relief. I was finally able to escape the abusive relationship that I was trapped in.

Time to Dust Myself Down

After I had moved my measly possessions into the ‘spare room’ which had now become mine, I gingerly took the first few wobbly steps into my new life. I was penniless, car-less and, I thought at the time, worthless. How on earth was I going to rebuild my life? I had been successful in my career, lived and worked abroad for many years and I had been a strong, independent woman. Yet, here I was living with a stranger renting out her spare room. How on earth did that happen?

Desperation Leads us to do Crazy Things

I know what you’re probably all thinking and yes, it crossed my mind too. How did I know that I could trust this stranger, somebody I had found on some random website on the internet? I didn’t. But moving in with her was preferable to the life that I had and I was prepared to take that risk.

Here are the reasons I chose to room-share with a complete stranger:-

1. She lived near where I worked (which meant that I could walk to work)

2. I could just about afford it

3. She offered me a sanctuary

4. The ‘Interview’ went well (I was interviewing her as much as she was interviewing me)

5. She put me at ease

6. We laughed — a lot

7. She made me feel safe

8. She never judged me

Laughter is such a tonic and helped in my healing process

My new housemate was retired and lived alone. Consequently, when I got 'home' from work, we would sit and chat over a cup of tea in her warm, cozy lounge. I would drift up to my room and change out of my office wear while she prepared the evening meal (we took it in turns to cook).

After a few short weeks, we became friends, giggling like school-girls as she would come prancing along the corridor to my room wearing an outrageously large hat and say, ‘What do you think?’ grinning from ear to ear.

We swapped beauty tips, exchanged creams and perfumes that we both liked and wanted to share with each other. She was the tonic that my healing process needed so badly.

What I needed most was to be out of reach of my Abuser

Family members can be good friends too but although I can share some of my innermost thoughts and feelings with them, a friend is invaluable because of their impartiality. In other words, they say it as it is. And oh, boy, can my friend do just that! That is one of the things that I love most about her — she doesn’t hold back. (Guess who I turned to first when I started publishing on Medium?) She was (and still is) invaluable as an outsider looking in on my life and work when I am too close to it to see what she spots in an instant.

Quality over quantity is my motto when it comes to Friends

I am out-going, fun, kind, caring, and make friends easily. However, when it comes to choosing to keep those friends close, only a few make the cut. Why? I can’t honestly answer that question other than I don’t, and never have, felt the need to surround myself with lots of people who call themselves my friends.

A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection

‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ resonates louder with me and — more importantly — being there for a friend when they need you. Whether it be to help in decision making — buying a new dress or moving house — or listening to them in their hour of need. Being a good listener is a wonderful trait and attracts me to someone if they are good at hearing what you are saying. This is where I hit the jackpot with my new-found friend.

The day my life changed — forever

During one of our customary catch-ups over a cup of tea or, if it was later in the evening, a glass of wine, I mentioned that my boss had offered me a ticket to a charity dinner the following weekend, but I had declined.

My friend was having none of it. She persuaded me that it was time that I ventured out into the big wide world instead of hiding myself away. I needed the solace and calm that my friend had so kindly given me and I didn’t need to, ‘get out there’. Besides, I didn’t want to.

Reluctantly, Cinderella went to the ball and the handsome prince returned her glass slipper. It was a bitter-sweet moment when I moved out a couple of months later following a whirlwind romance and, I am happy to report, marriage to Prince Charming.

True friends will always remain friends and I honestly don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met this lady.

Thanks to the kindness of a complete stranger, I was able to rebuild my life. She was there for me when I needed her, and that, my friends, is how a complete stranger saved my life.

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This article was first published on Medium where you can find more of my work, including some poetry and short stories. I also write a free weekly blog: Rosy's Ramblings.