Mijito Chishi
It’s another day at the bus stand. The road in front of me is not reassuring and I pity the owners of small cars. A large vehicle passes in front of me and calmly drives over the potholes, giving a solitary grunt as a sign of victory. These roads will kill you slowly, I sigh, still looking at the large vehicle as it disappears over the bend. Other vehicles pass by and grunt in response, their drivers cursing the road. My thoughts are interrupted by the familiar roar of the Big Blue, one of the assumed kings of the road, as it approaches the stand. There is already a huge rush as people try to guess where ‘exactly’ the bus will stop.
I’m a part of that rush and I’m sweating but I find myself inside the Big Blue in no time. I scramble for a ‘window seat’ and I’m panting. The air inside the bus is dry and the smell of sweat in unmistakable. I look around and I’m not the only student. An old lady carrying a basket in the front seat is also gasping. We had the same struggle and it bore fruit. Through the dusty window panes, I see another world outside and only the bad road somehow lends a hand.
There’s barely any consolation and I only imagine how much longer it would take for situations like this to get better. My thoughts are interrupted by the push of the Big Blue, making me lose my balance for an instant. I look at my watch and I’m relieved because I still have ample time to make it to class. The old man in front of me is yawning, still not fully awake and I’m confused because he’s yawning inside a box that’s moving erratically. Well, I conclude, each person is made up differently.
The bus suddenly halts in the middle of the road and I thought we had only just started. I see two men moving towards the door and getting off the bus. Ignoring the honking from behind, the bus starts off again and I’m prepared not to lose my balance this time. An old couple sitting a few seats ahead are talking and laughing at something and I notice the old man looking at his watch. The bus moves round a bend and after about a minute, I hear a female voice calling out for a stop. It’s a busy morning outside and the bus slowly starts again after the woman gets off. I wonder what the day would be like once I’m done with class and I’m already glad at the thought of meeting some friends soon. A hand reaches out to me and I look up to see the conductor asking for the fare. It’s only a small payment and it’s a welcome change to a clothes shop or a fancy restaurant.
It’s stopped again and I see some young girls getting off and some other people getting in. I see a man with a small briefcase in the adjacent seat and he’s looking at his shoes, which are supposed to be clean and shining. After a while, the bus stops again in response to a shout from one of the passengers and two women are getting off. The old man looks to his side and sighs. I think he’s frustrated at the stops but I’m not bothered. Not yet.
There are more of such abrupt stops and people continuously get off the bus in no man’s land oblivious of the traffic. I notice the serious look on the man with the briefcase. The old couple is still there but the laughter has stopped completely and I look at my watch and its already time for class but I’m not at my stop yet. The Big Blue is moving but I don’t know how time just went by without my notice yet again. A curse is at the edge of my lips but I don’t want my frustration to get the better of me and I end up nervously looking at my watch one more time.
It takes a few more minutes to reach my stop and I’m up from my seat in no time. The old man and the man with the briefcase are already at the door and they’re not smiling. I’m late and I don’t have a reason to smile either. My gait is unsteady now and I find myself walking in short, quick steps. I have my fingers crossed hoping I’ll be excused by my professor. I have to change my timetable again.
