Greetings from up North!
Funny thing happened on my way back home, while on the bus this morning.
It was 9.30 in the a.m, that's when I started my journey back home this morning. Normally, I'd immediately plug in my earphones, cover myself up with my sweater and close my eyes, hoping that by the time I wake up, we'd be somewhere in Perak, just to make the hellish journey a bit more endurable. But today, I felt like holding off sleeping for a while just to look at and listen to the people around me. I like to observe people...mostly, I like to stare. I'd like to think that that makes me wise/philosophical/artsy/poetic...or some shit like that. LOL. Anyways, I like to look at people, because most of the time, they can surprise you. True enough, I was surprised.
As I was looking, I noticed a lady sitting just in front of me but a little bit to my right, so I could see her clearly but she couldn't see me staring! (ahah!) The first thing I noticed were her shoes (d'uh!). She had on these amazing pair of old-fashioned, masculine boots, almost like the ones my dad used to buy for me when I was a little girl. She paired them with jeans and a bright blue top. She also wrapped a shawl around her neck. She looked very pretty and proper. Also, by the way she sat, straight up and with her legs crossed, I concluded that she was either a control freak or just stuck up. Which basically is the same thing. Moving on....
As the journey continued, the bus driver chatted away with his friends and they were making noise like nobody's business. Every sentence had a LAHABAU or a LAHANAT or a SIALAN or a BABI, somewhere in it. Now, I was quite used to this having been staying in Malacca for the past 4 years. I knew this was how true blue Malaccans went about their conversations. As I was listening, I looked over to the lady in the boots. She was looking over to the driver, adjusting her sitting position and fidgeting here and there. I could see from the side of her face that her eyebrows were creased, almost like she was upset. I could tell that the conversation made her uncomfortable. To add to it, a sudden gush of wind brought in a strong smell of ciggie smoke from the front of the bus. The driver was smoking away while chit chatting with his buddies. Rokok daun pulak tu.The lady covered her nose and fanned her fingers in front of her face to get rid of the God-awful stench. And then...something weird happened...
As I was looking and listening, a funny/weird/scary thought entered my head. I almost felt like I had to, no wait, I wanted to apologise to her for their behaviour. I have no bloody idea why my brain cooked this up. I had it all in my head, the picture was clear as day. I could clearly see myself walking up to her, and saying "Kak, sorry eh kalau akak mcm tak selesa. Biasala kak..."
What.The.Chuck.
Things got weird-er when I realised that I was giggling to myself at the thought of walking up to a stranger and giving out random apologies on behalf of other strangers.
Kerja gila.
But then again, I wonder...
how would she have reacted?
Happy Holidays, loves!
S.M.
8 comments:
Sometimes I use mirror reflections to stare at people...
hahaha...Pami lagi advanced!
Its such a thrill kan? Staring at people...
Well, Ms Morris, she WOULD have invariably said, "Such kindliness!! You must be from Sungai Petani..."
Hobbit, LOL! that's a good one! We were raised to be exceptionally kind and selfless. ;)
Although, i can't speak for everyone in SP. Wouldn't you agree?
In any case, I really do think that approaching total strangers and offering random apologies takes the cake for borderline insanity. ;P
You can have me committed to an institution anytime.
Back in 1987, as a 23 year-old 2nd Leftenant, I was on board a MAS flight from KL to KK. There were a bunch of Aussie men, loud and inebriated, in the fore section of the cabin. There was also this cute dish of a stewardess along the aisles, and I watched in disgust as one Aussie bloke on the pretext of walking over to his friends, squashed his crotch against her tush to savour for himself a thrill. I saw her crestfallen face and was moved to indignation and sorrow. Being the least priority passenger (or what the air force calls indulgence pax) on a military-paid ticket, I was too far aft in the cabin to do much, but I did buzz the summons button overhead.
She came over to my seat and I told her that I saw what had happenned and I apologised to her that men would treat her such that her beauty seem more a liability than the blessing it was intended to be.
Ms Morris, her countenance changed. The smile that came over her was so delighful, even I forgot the preceding incident. From the pantry she brought out all goodies for my consumption and she spent 15 minutes chatting with me.
Sometimes, for someone else's sanity, we need to act completely nuts.
Oh wow, that really is an amazing story!
well, mr. Hobbit, what you did for that woman is unbelievable and i raise my glass in your honour. if there were just 10 more like you, the world would be a better place.
i'd like to think that chivalry still lives but the realist in me won't allow such foolish thoughts.
your story has got me thinking. could it be that random acts of lunacy is the key to the survival of this dying society? Ironic, huh? The more civil we become, the more we could possibly be contributing to our demise.
You say it like chivalry is not premeditated.
Ms Morris, it is the struggle to be faithful to the promptings of the conscience that makes chivalry an expression of good winning over the seedy.
Lunacy in this sense then is to have the chivalry to stand alone and do as prompted.
Our society is not dead. Asleep perhaps, as we listen to all the lullabies without discernment.
I trust that society's demise is more imminent if we all fell to automation and acquiesence. Once we become a herd, we are only good for manure and bulgogi. No pun intended.
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