::: Homely Analytical Nonsensical Intuitive Lady otherwise known as Systematic Arrogant Hackwrench :::

Monday, June 05, 2006

A BUS JOURNEY...

Taken from http://yearbook.com.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=49

The window seat. There's where one can see the world passing by. The scenery that changes and flies by too quickly, the sun rays beaming through the window, the rain drops that accumulate into little ripples down the glass.

A little girl boards. She is dressed, just like me. White blouse and a blue pinafore. She sits next to me and starts to chat happily. I reciprocate. We chatter and laugh, like little girls do. We play hand games and share the little biscuits in shapes of "A, B, C" from our lunch boxes, and admire each other's pretty pencil boxes with strange gadgets that pop out with the press of a button. We are oblivious to the people around us as we sing our happy songs. But she reaches her stop and alights. Bye! she yells, as she skips off the bus.

A girl boards. She is dressed, just like me. White blouse and a blue pinafore, with a tie specially meant for the chosen leaders. She manages a shy smile and sits next to me. We talk about family, about friends, about school and about the exams. The PSLE is coming up. We tell the people around us to sit properly, to talk softly, to behave correctly. We sit and swap secrets, promises to never forget one another. But she reaches her stop and alights. No good byes.

Another girl boards. She is dressed, just like me. White blouse and a blue pinafore, with a sewn- on school badge and a green name tag. She sits next to me. We exchange names, and together, we make music with our voices. She, a soprano, and me, an alto. harmonizing and singing as the bus moves down the highway. We fold little hearts from our bus tickets... But she didn't stay long. Her stop was just a few bus stops away. So, she alights, without turning back to say good bye.

3 girls board the bus. 2 with ties, and 1 without. The one without sat with me for the longest time. We open our books and swaps tips because the "O" levels are near. We struggle with Higher Chinese and test one another on our cheng yu. We argue, and make up, and we help one another out. But they too had to alight.

He boards. He is dressed, just like me. Beige top and beige bottom. He is the first guy who sat next to me. We spoke and share every single thing we observed that passed by around us. We preferred to communicate with pen and paper. Letters and more letters.. happy, sad and angry ones. But no matter what, I thought he would remain seated next to me, but I was wrong. He moved on. Moved to the front of the bus... and many stops later, a girl board and sat next to him. Though sometimes he looked back to give me a smile, I was forgotten. No good byes needed.

A young lady boards the bus. She is dressed, just like me. Beige top and beige bottom, carrying her Nike sports bag. Sporty, intelligent, popular. She chose the empty seat next to mine.. a person totally opposite in character from her, but we had no problems communicating with one another. We observed the guys who boarded, shared secrets, encouraged one another, laughed and chatted. A few others joined us on our journey. Sometimes the bus would get so cold, and we would whip out our jackets, pullovers, windbreakers… all colored in grey. Though sometimes they would stand up to change seats, though sometimes they saw someone else they'd rather sit with, they'd still stop by next to me for a chat.

It IS a long bus journey.

I saw the girl again! I'm filled with such a pleasant surprise! But.. she's different now. She's a lady, and so am I. Our eyes met, yet without any acknowledgement, she moves to the back of the bus and slumps down in her seat as the bus goes over a hump. Strangers.

Many others have came and sat next to me. Some have alighted, never to be seen again. Some have changed seats, too far away, too distanced. They are busy, listening to their MP3s, reading their magazines, smsing or chatting to someone else. Some have remained close by. I exclaim at the beauty of the Christmas lights as the bus passed by, and they marvel with me. I exclaim when the bus swerves suddenly, and they quickly held on to me so that i wouldn't fall off my seat.

These people. They made me see the scenery from different perspectives. They come in and out of my bus journey, yet every one of them had been a pleasant companion. Every time they reach out to press the bell to alight, my heart sinks. Every time they stand up to move to another seat, i bite my lips to keep from crying. But I can't do anything about it. They have reached their stop.

The view outside is ever changing. Sometimes the sun rays shine in from the left side of the bus, sometimes from the right. The bus chugs along. There will surely be others who will come and sit next to me. There will be others who will board, and others who will alight. Others who will stay seated next to me for a longer time, and other who wouldn't even warm the seat. I wish. I wish that those who have alighted would board and sit next to me again.

This is the road of life . . . as I travel in this bus towards my destination.

Written & contributed by Tong Shir-Leen.
Posted on 2nd May '06.

reading this made me cry..dono y im feeling soo emotional...

| Lady Gadget Hackwrench C r u i s e d A t 6/05/2006 02:36:00 AM |