Part II
Through the traffic I watched the bus. Trying to see how many people were in it. Now, I would have got on the bus even if I had to hang out the door, but it's always good to see what your in for. My bus seemed to be having some sort of trouble with a little car that had just come out of a lane, but it was blocked by the traffic on the other side of the road. The bus driver honked his horn a bit, then stuck his head out his window and started screaming at the driver of the car. who in reply started shouting at the the bus driver. Eventually there was an opening and the car made way. The bus driver passed the car, leaving a few stinging remarks about the other drivers absolute lack of driving skill. I saw now that it was only about half full.
"here's the bus" I said to the man and the girl as it pulled up. My current state was not one so that I could fight for a seat, so I didn't really bother to hurry in. But I was an exception. The big man was one of the first in, I was one of the last. I couldn't see where the girl was. On the Inside, the bus was not much different. The paint was faded, peeling, with the scribbles of bored passengers all over. Seats that once might have been comfortable were worn down to the wood. In general, it was what you would find anywhere in India. I scanned the seats to see if there was any space to sit, but saw none.
Then, looking at the seat on my right, I got a bit of a shock. The girl had managed to get herself a window seat. Think about it. Me, a seasoned traveler of buses, trains, and many other forms of transport, is usurped by a first timer, and that too a girl. I tried to console myself, well I'm tired, and wasn't really trying to get a seat. But my competitive nature was just too much to let it lie. Steading myself as the bus started of, I couldn't help but ask, "So how did you get in so fast?" The girl looked at me and smiled, "I saw that every one was getting on from the front door, so I just hoped from the back." Now why didn't I think of that? "Oh, well" was all I could manage. The conductor was going from passenger to passenger, perfectly balanced, one hand full of notes and tickets. At his hip hung a small pouch, which I knew held all the change.
"how much does it cost to go to the train station?" asked the girl.
"It'll cost about six rupees." I replied as I tried to get my wallet out of my pocket. You might be thinking, how difficult can it be to get a wallet out of your pocket. Well, on a bus that has about as much body roll as some boats, and with the driver seeming like he was trying to throw every one of balance, the way he accelerated and braked with no apparent reason. Anyway, The important bit is coming up. As I tried to get my wallet out of my right hand pocket with my left hand,(my right hand was occupied holding the railing above head) I noticed that what was supposed to be in my right hand was not. And and what was supposed to be in my right hand was a small white plastic bag which was carrying a limited edition model car. It was a Lamborghini Muira. A friend of mines birthday was coming up soon, and, being a bit of a car buff, I thought it would be a good gift for him. Only now I must have left it at the store. The shop keeper would keep it for me, I knew, but there was someone else also wanting to get it, and he would probably be willing to pay a fairly large amount to get the car. I'll explain later, it's a long story. Paying for my trip, I started to move towards the door, as the station was getting close.
"here's the bus" I said to the man and the girl as it pulled up. My current state was not one so that I could fight for a seat, so I didn't really bother to hurry in. But I was an exception. The big man was one of the first in, I was one of the last. I couldn't see where the girl was. On the Inside, the bus was not much different. The paint was faded, peeling, with the scribbles of bored passengers all over. Seats that once might have been comfortable were worn down to the wood. In general, it was what you would find anywhere in India. I scanned the seats to see if there was any space to sit, but saw none.
Then, looking at the seat on my right, I got a bit of a shock. The girl had managed to get herself a window seat. Think about it. Me, a seasoned traveler of buses, trains, and many other forms of transport, is usurped by a first timer, and that too a girl. I tried to console myself, well I'm tired, and wasn't really trying to get a seat. But my competitive nature was just too much to let it lie. Steading myself as the bus started of, I couldn't help but ask, "So how did you get in so fast?" The girl looked at me and smiled, "I saw that every one was getting on from the front door, so I just hoped from the back." Now why didn't I think of that? "Oh, well" was all I could manage. The conductor was going from passenger to passenger, perfectly balanced, one hand full of notes and tickets. At his hip hung a small pouch, which I knew held all the change.
"how much does it cost to go to the train station?" asked the girl.
"It'll cost about six rupees." I replied as I tried to get my wallet out of my pocket. You might be thinking, how difficult can it be to get a wallet out of your pocket. Well, on a bus that has about as much body roll as some boats, and with the driver seeming like he was trying to throw every one of balance, the way he accelerated and braked with no apparent reason. Anyway, The important bit is coming up. As I tried to get my wallet out of my right hand pocket with my left hand,(my right hand was occupied holding the railing above head) I noticed that what was supposed to be in my right hand was not. And and what was supposed to be in my right hand was a small white plastic bag which was carrying a limited edition model car. It was a Lamborghini Muira. A friend of mines birthday was coming up soon, and, being a bit of a car buff, I thought it would be a good gift for him. Only now I must have left it at the store. The shop keeper would keep it for me, I knew, but there was someone else also wanting to get it, and he would probably be willing to pay a fairly large amount to get the car. I'll explain later, it's a long story. Paying for my trip, I started to move towards the door, as the station was getting close.
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