MRT

sometimes ... have you people ever when waiting for the MRT to come, observe whats around you?

you look in the mirror .. you see yourself .. ok, you look good, well-groom, very presentable .. pretty or handsome, either 1.
next to your left .. you saw a couple.. 2 teenagers.. hugging .. cuddling each other, so lovely .. so happy .. so sweet. you smile. yes. you smile.
to your right. you saw a ah-pek, old, rugged and tired. the wrinkle on his face are his medals. yes. he looks tired. his eyes .. non-chanting .. kept staring at blank .. his eyes .. emotionless. looking at nothing else .. but straight.
before you know it .. everywhere is flooded with people.. from all walks of life. businessman, waiter, civil servant, salesman .. mother with child .. students.

you look at the mirror. oh yes.. thats the truth. you tell yourself. Im alone.

in the train .. you see people .. standing .. sitting.. *ding dong* oh, its Kallang Station. off goes 2 china-woman .. in comes a pregnant lady ..
the pregnant lady looks around .. everywhere is flooded with people .. and so much so .. what a coincidence.. most of the sitters are sleeping .. some reading the news.
while some foreign people .. dont even know what it means..

suddenly .. there's this lady .. stand up and smile at the pregnant lady .. such chemistry .. they know each others intention .. i look at the door .. oh, theres the old ah-pek .. accepting his fate .. since coming in. waiting for his destination.. and in the mean time .. stare blank.

eh .. i saw 2 .. maybe 3 or even more couple .. looking eye to eye smiling .. talking .. sometimes blushing to one another .. mostly teenagers or young adults. love is in the air.

i smile ..

then i look at the far side of the carriage .. i saw a couple with their toddler .. maybe 1 or 2 years old .. so lovely .. so cute .. his sparkling eyes .. scanning around the carriage .. HELLO baby! welcome to the world. this is your mirror. take your choice. you choose who you wanna be.

suddenly .. the lady near the door smile at the toddler .. then there's this teenager couple whispering .. refering to the toddler .. in an instant .. all the female .. mostly the female's attention are at the toddler .. well, you dont have to be a singapore idol to be a star!

then there's this lady .. late twenties .. think she work in a bank .. judging from her uniform .. she look at the toddler .. she smile .. then she look out the window.. there's the night geylang scenery. she look at the neon brighten sky.. in an instant her mind wonder ..

before i knew it .. its almost 1 or maybe 2 stops away from my destination .. i look at the sky .. i look out to the east coast area.

i remember 1 year ago .. i'm doing the same thing .. looking at toddler .. smiling .. like the lady .. looking at the sky .. my mind wonder .. full of happiness .. the future is bright. i saw the same old corner at the door .. oh yes.. i used to stand there .. our own private corner .. i was always hoping the train to take its time to reach the destination .. hoping time could just stop for us.

i look on .. i look inside the train .. the train is 2/3 full .. *ding dong* .. the same song inside my ipod .. some jay chou song .. as usual .. its that song .. again ... whenever, i reach my destination.

the toddler is still there .. the couples are still there .. the old man is still there .. the lady is not looking outside the window anymore .. and yes .. the same old corner will always be there.

i walk out .. i stop .. i look back .. the train pass me by ..

i saw me .. 1 year back .. pass by my destination.. the train is gone .. bringing away my memories..

i realised .. this year is 2006 .. im 23 .. and time has passed me by.

tomorrow .. maybe, the ah-pek may not be in the same train .. all the couple will not be in the same train .. the lady would miss the train .. the toddler maybe in the childcare centre ..

but one thing .. that will never change is the same old corner .. the same old private space.. our laughter.

and most important of all ... my memories.

with that .. i left the station .. im not half the man i used to be. oh yes.. there's a shadow hanging over me .. and yesterday came suddenly..

you finished the next part ..