I took the LRT from KLCC last night and for the first time I really observed the people around me.
12 o'clock: Anyway, there was this chinese woman sitting directly opposite me, simply dressed carrying a plastic bag that contained a water tumbler and half a loaf of bread. She had hair that sat just off her shoulders and sported a pair of light pink-green pumps which went akwardly with her grey and white office attire. Throughout the whole time, the woman had her eyes closed and face scrunched up as if in pain. She was inaudibly mumbling to herself while she rocked herself back and forth. If my lip reading ability may be anything compared to that of British's top forensic lip-reader, Jessica Rees as she did in the Zidane-Materrazzi brouhaha, this lady was saying "..not anymore", "never", "no more" over and over like a mantra. The poor thing.
2 o'clock: A malay lady and a chinese girl were talking/gossiping about someone in their class. Since they were carrying British Council folders, and gauging by their conversation it was reasonable to assume that they were part time students there who took night English Classes. I felt a twinge of envy-wish I had the funds to study again. Was looking at the course fees for Postgrad studies in UM yesterday...nothing less than 20K.Sigh. A good friend of mine said that she's done with relationships for now. Occasionally servicing a rich, old wrinkled man who returns her deeds with streaming cash while telling her everyday that she's beautiful was a good proposal, she reckoned. I wouldn't mind that rich bugger funding my education.
Right: A strikingly pretty, young girl rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder while the queer looking boy held her hand and stroked her fingers. Both of them were obviously students of the British Council as well-those give away folders! From the mirror facing me, I could see that she was quietly very content. Again, I felt a pang of envy. Life is so much simpler when you're younger. You get over heartaches faster, friends were everywhere, tuition classes were an 'event', you 'fall in love' easier, and feelings of satisfaction weren't hard to come by.
11 o'clock: An indian man was beginning to get impatient with the rocking woman.
12 o'clock: If it's a man who's causing her the heartache, damn him. No one should be put to endure such misery. The most beautiful of all is a sincere woman's love-it's deeper, it's more intense...it's different. However, it may sometimes manifest itself in uncomprehendable actions or hurtful words, but if you can take the time to think why such things were said and done, anything can be talked through. If we can accept that sometimes parents hurt us out of love and concern, then this is a valid point even in relationships.
2 o'clock: Still bitching about someone who complained that no one calls her.
Right: I secretly wished them well. That if anything were to happen, I hoped that they'd still stick by each other..and that he'd go on stroking her fingers 10 years down future. They got down at the Central KL stop-still holding hands.
12 o'clock: A man known to the woman came into the LRT and the lady just snapped out of it. Suddenly she was A-okay, chattering away wildly. What a change. This guy must be someone to her...or he could be no one, a person whom she felt couldn't care a damn.
11 o'clock: Indian man frowning in distaste at formerly crazy rocking lady's amplified ching-chong conversation. I think he wouldnt have minded so much if he understood.
The ride to KLCC was scary. This African dude got up the train at Central KL while I was busy eavesdropping on the telephone conversation of a certain college-going indian boy. He was telling his 'fucker friend' to not be a fucking chicken shit in stealing the engine of an old bike. They were talking about pistons, shafts, a 'block'. "You're real fucker la dei. Now only you tell me, bloody girl la you. Oklah, oklah..I'll do it for you", he ended the conversation. It was quite funny and I was amused.
Anyway, back to the African guy. He stood next to me and said, "Hi, how are you?" I pretended like I didn't hear a thing and turned away. He kept at it and the indian boy just smiled at me. I wamted to box him. Being stared at the whole time, especially at places that often make their own statements was not a comfortable feeling. At all. Before anyone jumps to an uncalled for conclusion- I was in jeans and a non cleavage baring top that was covered with a jacket.
I got a seat away from his view soon after and fell asleep-thus missing my stop. I got down frantically in Ampang Park and crossed the platform. To my horror, the dude was right at the back of me. He couldn't have missed his stop as well. For the first time, the train took forever..and for the first time I was actually terrified of a person. A big person. For the first time in my life, I was actually worried about my safety. My mind went on overdrive and flashes of headlines zapped.
GIRL BRUTALLY STABBED AFTER RAPE.
They'd find my body in the toilet the next morning. They'll catch him, but he'd be smiling.
Suddenly people appeared and I was somewhat relieved. He got on the same train and got down in KLCC-though I was still pretty much frightened, it wasn't so bad coz there were people around. In the midst of the shopping crowd, I lost him. For the next half an hour, I calmed my nerves over Vanilla Coke in Burger King, trying to dispel the feeling that he was somewhere watching me. Now that I sit and think about it, I don't understand why I was so shaken by it-nothing actually happened. The human mind is a powerful tool, indeed.
