On a Bus
On my way on a bus home, a plain and honest-looking guy sat right beside me. On his right was placed a boisterous son, and across the aisle that chubby, plump woman must have been the mother.
The little one climbed up and down and jumped around his seat, crying in a language which could only be understood by his peers or parents. It was because of this commotion that I turned my attention from outside of the window to the turbulent family.
I made this deduction due to the fact that neither that unsophisticated dad nor that chubby mom had an intention to calm the rascal down. The parents looked fairly young, I thought, comparing to their ardour towards that kid, a little bit lack of experience in parenting education would be beyond reproach. There are many families with such naughty children in the US, and it will be cruel for me to indoctrinate to one, who is so young and desperately exploring this world, untimely with concepts like ‘public area’ and ‘private space’.
‘Windmill—’ the little one exclaimed this word abruptly, with his tiny palm slapping his father’s head. The father approached his ear softly with some words. The mother was watching them aside, suppressing her inclination to burst into laughter to not make fool of herself. Anyway, they were happy. Some get married early, coincidentally with luck, with whom they love; furthermore, with ones who love them devotedly. Their felicities come to where it’d be amusing even to make silly faces to strangers. ‘Woah!’ it was not long before the little one remained silent that he shouted out towards the window and punched his father in the face.
Then, what are there for those who haven’t got married or got a child? Apparently, in no way should we assert that all the single or bereft ones are wearing mournfulness, depression on their face. If not, there would be no happy (or even normal) expression you could see from people. Of these, there are two kinds: unacquirable or indifferent ones. The formers are going to suffer, subconsciously, from bitterness of being rejected, of being forsaken, of disenchantment along with getting older, of envy, and varies of discomfort caused by their vanity in front of a seemingly beatific family; and the laters are in comparison more fortunate—after all, in a life without (and not going to have) a lover nor marriage, one is given plenty of discretionary time and vigour, which could be spent in learning painting, an instrument, writing; or obtaining a certificate, a degree, a licence; or reading, Internet surfing, sitting at a computer or a game console half a day off.
The fact is, the two divisions above are based on one hypothesis: time is constant, in other words, things are immutable. Now, we are going to add a considerable factor to it—an unfortunate one. Ms Jones may get awaken by the twitter of magpies in a morning, and after her head parts the pillow, she meets a life-long partner coming out of her dream, because that postman happens to be interested in her. It is on that morning, so to speak, has her life ‘changed thoroughly and permanently’. And vice versa, Mr.Smith rushes home cheerfully as soon as he purchases two packs of steak tartare, only to find a brief note attached on the refrigerator, reads: Thank you for all you’ve done, but I like Ben more, for his nose is more interesting. Such uncertainty is the reason why some get obsessed with finding a partner, forming a family, also why some steadfastly stay solitary.
The child jumped on the seat twice or thrice, clacking to pull my attention back to the family. The old lady sitting in front of the mother turned around to watch the noise-maker while talking to that indulgent mother (not in a complaining way, however). Maybe the lady has been through such a similar felicity so as to forgive the couple of being negligent, or maybe the little one reminded her of her own.
Anyway, they arrived at their destination, got off the bus, melt into the crowd. For the old lady and me, we are possible not to meet them in the rest of our lives. Still, as the waves, in succession, as ebb and flow, surges and subsides—There is a young couple on their way taking their child to an amusement park to ride a rocking horse; other ones are participating in some craftsman competition with their beloved little one; Look, there is another: a mother is chiding a father for spoiling their son, because she doesn’t think he needs that many toys. And now, see how satisfied his expression is!
Nikolaas Vega 4/7/19
