The Yellow Sky

When I was working from home, I made it a mantra to take a 1-hour walk at Almaden Lake Park in San Jose, California, every day. The story I'd like to share happened a year ago, and someone I recently met encouraged me to share this story.

It was in the third week of October 2025 that this encounter occurred at Almaden Lake Park in San Jose, California. I always start my day early, and I usually shut off my laptop by 3:00 pm and get ready for a long afternoon walk. I grabbed my water bottle, keys, and wallet, got into my car, and drove myself to the lake. The travel time was 15 minutes; it was a relaxing afternoon.

I arrived a bit early at the park since the traffic was very light. On that day, I decided to take a different route since it was warmer and I'd like to feel the sun's rays. I put on my headset, played music, and started my walk on the trail. During my first and only round on that day, I saw an older man sitting alone on the bench. As I passed by, I felt an ache in my heart, and I just whispered, poor guy.

Then I continued my walk, and as I passed the older man and crossed the bridge above him, I felt a sudden urge to go back to where he sat. I resisted the urge until I stopped and looked up at the bright blue sky and said, "Really."

Well, the force of the universe won, and I turned around and walked back to where the older man sat. It crossed my mind to keep going; however, as I got closer, two dogs and their owner blocked the way, barking at each other. So, I stopped and told myself, " Okay, universe, you won.

I walked near the older man sitting on the bench and decided to use an icebreaker to get his attention. I said, "Have you noticed, the color of the sky is 'Yellow'?" He turned around and looked at me and said, "What are you talking about?" The color of the sky is not Yellow. He also said, "Don't talk to me; my English is not good." I replied, " Well, that makes the two of us." I smiled and sat next to him.

The fifteen-minute conversation I planned to have with the older man ended up being one hour and thirty minutes.

During our talk, I started calling him "Baba" (the Arabic term for "father"). Baba smiled every time I called him Baba. He told me I reminded him of his youngest daughter. Our conversation started when Baba asked me where I came from. I told him I came from the Philippines and I migrated here to the United States two decades ago.

Baba said he is an Assyrian Christian; his hometown is now part of Iran. I was puzzled, and I asked him, " You're telling me that there are Christians in Iran? Baba said, "Yes," even after the time of Jesus Christ, Christianity is practiced in Iran. I told him I thought the Assyrian empire collapsed, and he said, "Yes," but we became part of Iran.

As time passed, Baba and I discussed politics, the history of the Middle East, Culture, Arabic Food, his Adventures, his love for his 3 daughters, and his deepest, most painful secrets. As he shared his life story, I stayed silent and listened to his pain, adventures, colorful culture, and geopolitical history of the Middle East.

The man who refused to talk to me 1 hour and 30 minutes ago opened up about his life journey, and as I looked at his face, I noticed that Baba was smiling more as he shared his adventures and his love for his 3 beautiful daughters. The day he needed to stand alone to raised her 3 girls while working long hours to support their needs.

One conversation changed it all.

The man who sat alone on a bench with sorrowful eyes was transformed in less than two hours. The hour has passed, and it was getting dark and colder. Baba asked me one question, "Ivy, should I return to Iran or should I stay here in the United States?" My response, "Baba, go where your heart leads you." I smiled, and he said, It is getting late for you, and I need to play chess with my Assyrian friends.

As we walk to the trail, he shows me where he will meet his friends and spend the night playing chess at the park. We parted with a firm handshake, and as I looked into Baba's eyes, I saw a spark that was not visible one hour and 30 minutes ago.

One conversation changes a man's life.