Little Stories 80 : RapidBus Driver

Previous posts : bus conductor to Metro's bus driver.

Several night ago, I waited for my usual daily-routined bus in front of the train station. From afar, I saw the usual Rapidbus arriving and when it was near, people crammed to get in like the usual Malaysian way.

From the bus's door, I saw the bus driver with his formal Rapid's shirt tucked in his black pants and his hair tidily combed. I sense some familiarity. You see, when you take the bus everyday for years, you'll come to recognize certain faces. It was the same ex-bus conductor to ex-Metro bus driver, now he is a formal driver for the Rapidbus. No longer in his slipper, blue jeans and t-shirt.

He grinned at me and I smiled back.

All through the ride home, I can't stop thinking about how he improved level-by-level all through the years - being an immigrant must be tougher for him because he has to compete with the locals.
But he made it :D And I'm happy for him.

He honked the bus and grinned at me after I get off from the bus to walk home. 

*PS : I just noticed that I wrote about people I met in public transportation a lot.

Little Stories 73 : Bus

I took the first bus that came while waiting for a ride home from work. Usually buses were occupied with students and foreigners. It wasn't crowded that night so I sat in the front side of the bus, next to a Chinese student. I blinked my eyes lazily, hunched upfront while hugging my bags. 

Half asleep, half awake, I stared at the busy road in front of me and noticed the bus driver from the front mirror, reflecting us. It was the guy that teased me in bus, but he is no longer a bus conductor, now a bus driver, I guess. I prayed that he didn't see me. 

"Heeey, gadis !", he shouted excitedly from his driver's sit and everyone looked at me. Sheesh. I sheepishly nodded when he asked/shouted whether I was sleepy and tired. 

I don't know what it is about them that make them look happy all the time, whether in the morning or at night. Sometimes I see them both while I go out and back home in the same day. A mutual understanding that we are all working for money to survive.

I tried to ignore him and looked at the window, trying to get less attention than needed.

*

Soon we reached my destination and someone pushed the button. I thought for a brief seconds on which door to use, 'the back door or the front door' ? To continue avoiding the excited bus driver, I chose the back door. I waited for him to open it, but he didn't. So I had to look at him, he looked at me from his sit and grinned. Great.

By this time, I was blushing. I hated the attention and this gave me loads of it in one go from all the passengers. I had to use the front door, I guess.

The passengers were smiling.

*

Soon, I hopped from the bus and walked slowly towards my house. I noticed that the bus did not passed me. I turned around to look.

The bus was moving slowly right next to me. He grinned, and the passengers smiled.
"Meh naik, kita hantar sampai rumah".

I mouthed "Takpe lah" and smiled politely.
I walked faster, the reddening of my face might as well outshines Mars.

Several attempts more, he asked me whether I am sure?
The passengers found the little drama entertaining and kept waiting for my response.
Even the passersby started to look at the bus that was moving too slow.

I can't hardly respond, shook my head and felt my face burning, until I turned to the corner towards my area. The bus had to go straight and he finally shouted goodbye.

*

Although it might sounded a bit dangerous, it happened in an open space, friendly environment with the whole bus and passersby watching. A friendly flirting tone that I am not used to. I was even amused by the short incident.

I thought such things only happen in cheesy love stories in books or movies. 

Little Stories 56 : Bus Ride

I take the bus almost every morning to work for more than a year now, so I've come to recognize people I see in the bus : bus conductor, ticket man, and the driver. 

This morning I arrived at the bus stop when the bus was about to leave. I ran in my kurung and said 'thank you' for waiting. I got this habit of saying 'thank you' to everything even when I buy something at a store ; cashier would say 'thank you' - for buying and I would say 'thank you' for the help/service. So that would be 'thank you' and 'thank you' , not "thank you' and 'your welcome'.

I took a seat at the back of the bus until the conductor came to me for the ticket. 

Conductor : Where are you going ? 

Me : The commuter.

Conductor : Are you studying ?

Me : Nope. Work.

I'm not sure whether he forgot or he was trying to make a conversation, because I was the same person he asked to several times. Oukay. So I continued to listen to the songlist instead of my usual reads.  *Flu makes me distracted. Until the ticket man came to me and asked for my ticket. A shout came from the front of the bus.

Conductor : Hey, that's my amoi !

Me : *I cursed silently in my heart, started to make my body smaller and blushed*

Ticket man : What? Where? Which amoi? 

Conductor : That's the one, the cantik one.

Ticket man : Ohh, you mean this one. Ok cantik, cantik, even sit like that. Ticket please.

Me : *I gave him the ticket and smiled sheepishly. Thinking how loud can they possibly go.*

The ticket man left me and continued his work. 

And came back to me after a while, he took a sit near me. The ticket man is Chinese around 40-ish, I had a hard time understanding his accent.

Ticket man : Is he your husband?
Me : No.. 

Ticket man : Are you married?
Me : No.
Ticket man : You don't like the conductor? He's a nice man.

Me : Okay..
Ticket man : You work?
Me : Yes.
Conductor : Don't disturb my amoi aa ! *He shouted from afar*
Ticket man : Ya la, ya la. I'm not disturbing her, I'm asking whether she likes you or not. She doesn't like you ! Hahah. *continued talking to me* , Why you don't like him?
Me : No..
Conductor : She said to me, "Why you can't send me to work?" and I said "I can't, I need to work too, I can send you until commuter". That's why I am sending her to commuter. *this was all in shouting manner, the whole bus was listening to the story he just created.*
Me : *I have no idea how red my face was by this time*
Ticket man : Really ah?
Conductor : She's so cantik, I like her !

By this time, the bus stopped at the train station and I hopped off from the bus. The bus conductor reminded me to take a good care of myself to work and I just smiled.

And I missed the train.

*

PS : These little things make me feel tiny-bit younger than my actual age.

A conversation I listened to :
"After a woman passed 23, don't ask their actual age.
It's 'sensitive'. That's what people reminded me. "

Well I'm 26 going 27, and I'm enjoying my days.