Save me a seat

I think this is going to be one of my shortest blogs, I really find it weird to put out content with very less reading time. But thinking about this does really put a smile on my face. *smiles in Thanos*. 

To really get into this whole story which I am just trying to just drag on right now, we're gonna have to go back to 2010, way before my glory days, I guess. During this time I had changed schools, from a private institution to a government one, because the family was kind of in a pinch. So what I had to do was take the road bus, the school was 18kms away from where I lived, it's not that far, but when you are a kid, with no prior knowledge about how buses work, and have to cross three whole neighborhood cities, it is, I don't feel like it is a lot now, but it kinda was. 

So day in and day out riding my bicycle at 6 in the morning taking my sweet little time, getting to the bus halt, and there are these, what do you call it, cycle parks? I don't know what you call it. But I'd park my bicycle, and the owner of the park, charges 10 rupees for the cycle park for half a day, and if it is a motorbike, it would be 20 rupees for half a day. So what I'd do is, park my bike, wait for the bus. Mind you, I didn't take the private bus at all, my stingy ass would wait for the CTB buses, for those of you who have no idea what a CTB bus is, these are the buses owned and run by our lovely government. I'd wait for a CTB bus so that I could use my season ticket, which was about 120 rupees per month, back then, by the time I left that school at mid 2013 I think it went up to 200 rupees. Moving on now, I'd wait, for a specific bus, called Aluthgama-Kalutara. I would never take an outstation bus, I never really knew why, also outstation buses are any bus out of the Western Province; Galle, Matara, Tanagalle, Hambantota-Colombo buses.

I seriously have no idea, why I keep talking about the buses, but after bus arrives, I'd get in, the conductor would mark my season ticket, also only two trips were allowed per day using a season ticket, up and down, and that is, if the conductor marks the ticket. What if he doesn't lmao? Infinite Trips. YES. Lovely. So normally I'd get to school, have a normal school day, I don't want to talk about it right now, so, let's not get into it. That is for another blog. But let's talk about buses. So, after school, it is mad crowded, the buses filled with stinkers, such as myself, come on I was in grade 6, what did you expect, of course, I'd sweat. And only one thought in my mind, can't wait to get home, just wanna get home, that is all. 

The school finishes at 2 and I'd take the slowest bust to ever exist, and I'd get to my town around, 2:40, and I have been saving up money all day, just to get down from the bus, cross the road, and get my stinky, sweaty self in to the Cargills Food City. Spend time, in there, hang out near the beverage and yogurt section, get myself some "air conditioning" because I deserve it. I deserve to be cool too. After I have dried off and walked around, I'd finally get myself not one but two Cargills Captain Cool Orange Flavored Ice Creams, it cost me 20 rupees everyday, saving the money from the bus ride, just to eat have two Captain Cools was really worth it.

Now, I'd have to get to the cycle park, and only to find that my bike, and above it, multiple bikes have been stacked up, now I have to move, all the bikes, with one Captain Cool, in my mouth, the other in my pocket both melting, hell is hot for these idiots who stacked their bikes over mine, but so was the weather. So somehow, I'd get my bike, and by the time, one Captain Cool would be done and gone. I wanna have my second one, after I cross the road, whilst riding my bike down the coastal road, whilst the wind hits my face, the sun burns my forehead because of the whole liter of coconut oil my mom applied onto my head, and the Captain Cool Orange Flavor just melting in my mouth, pure bliss. 

But God did not favor me, the Captain Cool would melt off, and I'd panic, "Oh how am I going to get home, to my safe haven, I need cross this horrendous concrete desert that is right in front of me." Is what I think to myself, but God says "Believe in me and I will not let you down" and on my way back I'd find an ice mall, where they manufacture ice to send it to harbors to which then helps keeps the fish fresh. I'd take a detour right into the mall and I'd say "Aiye Ice Kealak Dennako" and then he'd say "Menna Malli". This was the trial of a true man, a battle within himself. The fate on the universe lied upon this block of ice. Also what I said was "Brother gimme a block of ice", which to then he replied "Here ya go my sweet handsome dark skin nice smiling having buzz cut but very sweaty brother". That is what he said. You could go ask him if you want to. I'd take the pieces of ice and put it in my shirt and my pockets. And ride the western wind home. In time for me to have a shower, and have lunch and get to Qur'an School, to come back at 4 to attend extra tuition classes, because my mom thought why not. I'd come back at 5 and go out to play with the boys come back at 6 and then shower again, and then that would be the end of my day. I do not wanna go into detail beyond that.

Shit.

I swear the true purpose of this blog was to keep it short and sweaty, and I didn't even talk about what I intended to. 

Yeah since I went this deep, why not a little further. And end it. The thing that I wanted to really talk about was, during my trips to school, this one time, I offered my seat to an old frail lady, it was one time. And then the next morning the same lady, in the same bus, I saw her saving a seat for me, she never let anyone sit there. At all. She would scream if anyone other than me sat next to her. So, I would sit next to "Aachi" it means grandma, and everyday we would talk about stuff, nothing that mattered just random stuff, that never truly made sense, stories about how she had to climb and cross twelve mountains and eighteen rivers and forty rain forests and two deserts to get to school and only to take a shortcut over the valley to get back home, that kinda stories. But it was warm, the stories, the love that came from all of it, it was genuine and every story felt like a warm hug that said "You aren't alone". We got to travel with each other for like a month, and then I didn't see her. There was no more Aachi to save a seat for me every morning, I was so worried, because she was so old, something might have happened to her. And a month later, I see her in another bus, saving a seat, which was intended for me to sit on, I greet her, and she has no idea who I am. She had forgotten the shape of my face but not the shape of my soul. Legend has it, that she's still saving a seat for me. Even though it has been 11 long years. So Aachi "save me a seat".

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PS: I have changed the comment settings, so now anyone that needs to comment, does not need a google account or verification. I am at fault, because I didn't quite know that there was a free comment feature, now readers can comment anonymously, if you want it to display your name, just add your name or initials at the end of the comment and I will know. Also I know this is not a comment worthy blog. I was bored I needed to blow off some steam and this was the first thought that came into my head. "My pre-glory days".

 

Wim Perdox