Dating : Short Stories

The Conductor

December 26, 2020

Yesterday afternoon I took a bus from Linton Street (post office) to make my journey straight to Philips or somewhere near. Although bus was not very crowded, it was halfway filled with passengers. My friend, and I easily managed to get a seat for ourselves. I was seating on the third row from front and she was seating on the first row just next to the door. The bus started moving once we settled down. I looked outside the window and felt little disappointment as today it’s not going to rain.But nature never disappoint us, it is full of surprises.Gradually my disappointment turn into a pleasure as I was lost in the beauty of the lovely day, the sky was white and clear, there was fresh and cool breeze, it was very soothing that took me into some other world, maybe the world of dreams.I was so much lost in the beauty of the day that I barely noticed people passing by.

Suddenly, I was hit by the reality, the bus conductor — somebody cried from the behind, and I came back to the place where I lost myself from. It was me seating on the seat, a lady beside me and there was bus moving. The bus conductor comes forth, he was an old man with moderate height; he had mixed black-grey hair, big sparkling eyes, bushy eyebrows and had weak jawlines due to rising old age. His clothes were ragged & worn out, and he was carrying a brown leather conductor bag by one of his shoulder.

He came forth on the call of the passenger to exchange tickets for money, and again I looked back to the window, trying to catch some more glimpse of the beautiful nature, but this time I was captured by something else, and I looked back at him again. His whole presence was living, it was conveying message that was very heartbreaking. He looked distressed as he kept exchanging tickets, getting calls from other passengers was making him anxious. It isn’t easy for this poor fellow, I thought to myself. This old man’s eyes were depicting pain, and his face was covered with sorrow and sadness. He was completely fatigue, and a bit agitated too. It seemed, he was sobbing from inside but with utmost silence. He had no complain, but relentlessly asking for help.

By this time the bus conductor came to me in a very detached manner, gave me the tickets for money and went on his way. Leaving me astonished. I blew a deep breath out in sigh, looking back to the window with heedless sight and wondering there are so many souls around us who seems insignificant, but they teach us the most significant lessons of our lives. Life is meant to be hard and some are living the hardest of all. Only by witnessing them if it makes our lives easier, then I think we should keep our hearts and eyes open everywhere.

I kept looking outside, but with lost mind.