Entry tags:

life, public transit, writer's block

What Do You Have To Say? - Public Transit Nightmare

It was a very cold day as I was waiting at my usual bus stop.  There was this building that use to be like an automobile museum of some sort, it was glowing with lights and the promise of warmth.  I had only known of that spot because a friend had shown me it two days before.  It was close to the bus stop and was pretty much unoccupied at the front doors, so I gave in and went inside to keep warm.  There was a man who was already inside, but I couldn't see him from the angle I was at prior to going in.  I kept quiet as I usually do, and didn't think much of the situation, because it really wasn't much of a situation.  At least, not until he began to speak...  

"My people were here before your people!  You people walkin' around like you own the place!  Yeah I said it!" 

Though I heard what he had said pretty clearly, there was a part of me that said... 'No, that can't be it... that's not what I heard.'  So I continued to look out the glass windows for my bus, and stayed quiet.  I thought it would be the best thing to do and didn't think the man would get even more irritated, but he did...

"Oh, you actin' coy on me, huh?  You actin' like you ain't heard what I said?"

By this point, the tone of his voice had my sympathetic nervous system going, but I pretended not to hear and was thinking frantically about how to exit the doors without making much of a commotion.  I thought of calling someone on my cellphone, but of course I had left it at my brother's the other night.  I tried not to swallow to hard either, or even breathe at that point.  

"Lord forgive me if I should stab this child in front of you right now... Lord forgive me if I should stab this child...."  

Okay well, I pretty much decided that if I were to die, I'd like it to be out in the open where I would have witnesses, so I pushed the door open and ran outside to the stop before listening to him finish that sentence, and there was my bus!  Right on time!  I was relieved, got in and once I sat down, the same man sat down right next to me!  He was still irritated but I got up and stood so an elderly woman could sit down.  I stood up the whole time, and he seemed to calm down a little, though he kept talking to everyone around him.  I stayed quiet and tried my hardest not to have any eye contact with him, but once the elderly woman got off on her stop, he asked me if I wanted the seat back. 

I smiled and said as politely as I could, "Oh no thank you sir!  I'm fine standing and someone else may need the seat soon.  Thanks again."  

He was shocked, but he returned the friendly smile and said, "You are like a ray of sunshine, you know that?  Has anyone ever told you how you glow like the sun?  I don't even know how to describe it, your smile is just so warm and bright, that's all I can say.  I just wanna take you home, when you smile like that.  I can get none of that, can I?  You ain't interested in no old man like me right?  "  

I didn't know how to answer so I just got off at that stop and decided that it was best if he didn't know where I live, even if I had to walk ten blocks in the freezing cold.  Fortunately I have never seen him ever again.