Train Rides
The display screen reads "5 mins" for the next train. "Oh okay" I think to myself, and gaze out at the escalator that brings people up to the train platform. A man in his fifties is running up the escalator, impressively so for someone who looks relatively out of shape, nearly knocking over the people who are standing. I look over at the opposite side of the platform and notice the light that serves as a warning that train doors are about to close is blinking. Just as he reaches the escalator landing, the train doors close. I see the man curse and run over to the train nonetheless, in hopes that this is one of the few times the train doors reopen before leaving the platform. Unfortunately for him, the train starts a slow chug, almost reluctantly, out of the station. Two girls standing on my side of the platform have been watching this man, and exchange giggles at each other. The man glares at them, shoves up his coat and looks at his watch. I look at the display screen for the opposite train. The screen display reads "2 mins". The man has now produced a phone out of his blazer and is furiously barking at it. I pause my music, curious to see what he's yelling about. Damn. He's yelling in Mandarin. I press play on my music. I wonder how much more people watching I could do to while away the time.
My train arrives and I walk up to stand near the doors. I wait for the steady stream of people to filter out before boarding when a lady in her forties shoves me and the people alighting aside, dashes in, sits in the reserved seat and proceeds to nonchalantly read the paper. I roll my eyes and walk over to stand near the back doors. The doors close and I notice that the heavily pregnant lady who was behind me is standing. Nobody sitting in the reserved seats has budged. Nobody actually looks like they need the seat or like the people in the pictogram pasted above the reserved seats. The train jerks in its effort to move forward, and she almost loses her footing, grasping at the nearest pole for balance. She apologises to the man on her left who she had bumped against. The man barely acknowledges her or the fact that anything had happened at all and continues staring ahead. Having witnessed this, another elderly woman who was seated gets up to give her seat to the pregnant lady, even though she's not in the reserved seat and is probably in her late sixties. The pregnant woman politely refuses, asking the elderly lady to stay seated but the latter is not having any of it. A teenager who was sleeping with his head rolling all over the place wakes up from this slight scuffle, notices the pregnant lady, leaps up to his feet and picks up his bag from the floor in one motion. The pregnant lady tries to thank him but he avoids her eye, looking embarrassed and walks over to the middle of the carriage for a more comfortable place to stand in and wipes the sleep from his face. As I watch him walk over, I notice something. So many unhappy faces. So many tense faces. So many bored faces. Did I use to be one of them? I wonder.
The train has rolled to the next stop. A group of teenagers stroll in. "Guys, let's go for lunch!" a girl, who's clearly the pack leader, exclaims. Intrigued that I could hear her over my music, I pause it again to see if anything interesting would happen. I assess the group. Three of them are Chinese and two are Malays, with one of them wearing a Hijab . Pack Leader is clearly interested in the guy standing next to her, and I just notice another ethnically ambiguous looking girl who looks like she would disappear when the first opportunity presents. Whatever is about to happen during this lunch discussion, it's going to be fairly fascinating, I decide. Ethnically Ambiguous Girl's highlighter game is strong though. I wonder why it's inappropriate to walk up to someone and go "Hey! I love your highlighter and how you have applied it! Can I ask where you got it, if you don't mind?" Three of them had been discussing potential places for lunch and had switched to Mandarin at some point. Ethnically Ambiguous Girl, Hijab girl and non-Hijab girl exchange looks with one another - a look I've seen and given one too many times. Somehow during this exchange, I make eye contact with Ethnically Ambiguous Girl. I smile at her. Mainly for the familiarity of the situation she was in. Partly for the highlighter. "Guys, Channel 5 please ha ha ha" non-Hijab girl says with a forced and awkward laugh. Almost as if what she had requested was inappropriate. "Oh! Sorry!" Pack Leader exclaims. I notice Pack Leader likes to end her words with redundant exclamations and that she has a fake American accent. "We were saying we could go to that sushi place!" "Oh, sorry guys but it's not Halal" Hijab girl says. The other three exchange looks. Another look I've seen many times. "Oh?!" Pack Leader exclaims and keeps her face in the pout that happens when you say oh and tilts her head at her potential boyfriend. "Ermmm" he stumbles. "Let me check what places are halal" the other girl, the third wheel of the soon to be couple, puts in. "Actually, it's fine. I can join you guys for lunch another time" Hijab girl says. I have a feeling Hijab girl has had it with situations like this. I also have a feeling she wants to be far away from Pack Leader. "Oh! Okay!" Pack Leader exclaims. "We can still go to the sushi place!" gesturing at the remaining five with no attempts to find another place. I know the sushi place that she's talking about. It's not cheap. It's also dimly lit and a popular spot for couples. "Ha ha I guess I would have to give this a miss too" non-Hijab girl says. "REALLY?! WHY?!" Pack Leader exclaims in false disappointment. "Becauseee the sushi place is not halal?" non-Hijab girl drags out. Pack Leader looks at her in confusion. I shake my head before I could stop. "Oh yeah I just remembered! I have an assignment due on Thursday for another module and I have barely started. You three go ahead without me." Ethnically Ambiguous Girl puts in. Judging from her expression, and word delivery, 5 bucks says there's no actual assignment. Pack Leader, Boyfriend Wannabe and Third Wheel exchange looks. "I think I'm going to get the California roll" Third Wheel says. "ME TOO!" Pack Leader exclaims and they go on to discuss the menu. Boyfriend Wannabe listens in with what must be his best polite smile. Ethnically Ambiguous Girl says something to the Hijab girl and Non-Hijab girl but I can't hear. They laugh a small laugh among themselves. I wonder what she said.
I notice the train is reaching my stop now. Aw man. I really wanted to continue hearing this conversation. I walk to the doors and smile at Hijab girl, Non-Hijab girl and Ethnically Ambiguous girl, a smile of solidarity. They smile back, and it's clear they know I was listening to them even though I had never taken off my earpieces. I alight the train, blending in with the crowd that was rushing towards the escalator. I wonder where my friend is waiting for me.
*Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, "Thendral's Telegraph" here!*
