Scenes from a bus....

well... i, for one, hate travelling by bus... crowded ones that is... dont particularly mind travelling by bus if i get to choose my seat,,, my favourite being the one right next to the exit... thats coz there have been a coupla times the bus got so crowded (after being empty initially), that i had to walk to my stop after alighting a coupla stops after it... :( so yup... i dont generally travel by bus if i can help it...

however a bus journey invariably triggers various lines of thought... most of them incredibly vivid... i sit there, looking to all intents n purposes as if i aint part of anything thats happening around me, but yup, i know, i appear that way coz i kinda conjure visions of the lives that my co-passengers lead... weird??? cant help that either... i once saw this lady get into the bus, pretty unsteady on her feet as she was cradling an infant in one arm n was holding on to a railing for her dear life, with the other... a brief glance made me think she had cried not before long... a vision came to mind of a squabble with her b'i'tter half,,, with the guy prolly emerging victor... i was prolly wrong in my conceptions,,, but then,,, ive heard enough and more tales of woe of the sad married lives that many women lead... if u dont believe my statement, take time off to talk to ur mom's hired help... their stories are extremely poignant...

another sight that brings sad thoughts to my mind, is that of old people struggling to get into the bus... wrinkled skin, greying hair n a body that is almost doubled up... we might think these are synonymous with a peaceful life of retirement... but nay! these old people are still bearing burdens, far too heavy for their old shoulders... prolly its coz their children dont care for them anymore or simply that they still care too much for their children,,, but its pretty obvious, these old ppl are still pushing themselves beyond their limits to earn wat they can... sad...

and then there are the perverts... the curse of travelling by bus! i loathe this particular species, so i aint wasting time talking abt them... but this much is true,,, every crowded bus is filled with more than its share of lecherous perverts! (the conductor usually being the leader of this particular species)

and then... the bus halts... i look outside... once, there was this toy-vendor... n every person who walked past him had a moment to spare, to glance at his bright wares... old or young, it didnt make a difference,,, ppl just had to look at the toys... that made me smile... we prolly dont think abt it all that often,,, but however old a person gets, no matter how busy he is,,, there is a part of him that remains a child...

and then, there is yours truly... one thing leads to another n i start speculating on myself... every bus journey rakes up some soul-searching... i think back on the events of the day n the ones preceding it... i weigh my actions n make some decisions... all this is done while ppl push past me, trod heavily on each others feet n heartily curse one another,,, amidst the myriad sights n sounds that only a bus can offer....

the above are as experienced by me while travelling by TNSTC - cbe