Home at Last

I came home late tonight. I left work an hour later than I used to. This happens more and more often lately, I suspect this will be my regular working hour. Oh well, it’s not that I don’t enjoy it.

Anyway, it took me 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach home. As usual, after work I went straight to the train station. Traffic’s a mess and I reached the station in 20 minutes-ish. Saw the train on the railway and went directly on board. Not long after I heard an announcement that there is a trouble in one of the train station, and that the train will be stuck for a few while. 

I waited for one and a half hour and there were no sign of the train moving. Only repeated announcements saying that the train company was extremely sorry; and that the train wasn’t able to depart just yet. I finally decided to ask one of the conductors, whether the train would leave anytime soon. No, she said. She said it will take a while, but she couldn’t say how long. I decided to take the bus instead.

Coming Home, by Agnimaya

I walked to the bus terminal and waited under the rain. After another 30 minutes the bus finally came. I sit in the front and chatted with the driver. He said that the traffic was a bit congested, but it’s all better now. He was right. We had a smooth ride. In 30 minutes I was halfway home.

I changed bus. The driver was a young boy, probably no more than 18 years old. He refused to stop on a road curve and said that it was his contribution to lessen traffic congestion. Funny. I rarely hear that from public transport driver in Jakarta.

An old man stepped in the bus. I offered him my seat, but he refused. “I have a basket with me, it will be troublesome for me if I sit there,” he said. “Are you sure?” “Yes.” So I remain seated, and he stood behind my seat. After a while he was nearing his destination and he stood in front of the bus door. Everyone reminded him to step a little bit further from the door, for it was unsafe; but he insisted that he was alright. He was holding on tight. When he got off the bus with his basket of quail eggs, an old woman was waiting on the alley, and immediately took his hand. It was a really beautiful sight.

Jakarta is not an easy place to live in. However, I always loved this city and how the people in it struggle each and every day to survive. This city is harsh, but there are many things that are beautiful in it. Tonight’s experience reminds me of that. I reached home at 9.30, but I feel really grateful because at the end of this day, God put smile on my face and warmth in my heart.