Pulling the zipper up to your neck and putting on the hood, you buried  your face to the thick clothing that ain’t even yours. You folded thepaperneatly and tucked it in your pockets-letting your hand stay in there toobecause of the cold. Darting your eyes for a second you noticed an unoccupied bench metersaway from you. Sighing, you slowlymade your wat to  it and sat waiting for your next bus.

“I called my mom earlier to check up on you and your family back in China. All the investigations and the ‘finding-you’ stuff.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat as you pushed back everything he said to the darkest, deepest and furthest corner of your mind.

Staring at the road in front of you with cars zooming past you quickly, you couldn’t help but think what was going on in each person’s life behind those wheels.

The driver in that black car must really be in a hurry- who knows maybe he was going to hospital after a loved one got into an unfortunate accident. Or maybe the one in the red delivery truck has been driving for days just to make the delivery on time for his daughter’s college fees. Or that couple riding the taxi, did they perhaps enjoy their date or are they falling apart? That oldwoman sitting in a bus. Was she perhaps left alone or what? That kid might be a spoiled brat or an orphan or that highschool girl may be a bully or bullied.

No one knows what really is going on a person’s life except for the man himself. Therefore no one has the right to judge others…

That was the biggest lesson I learned from my gege. We used to do this back in China- sit on a park bench and discuss on the what-ifs on the lives of the people passing in front of us. He may look like a creepy freak and he gets clingy- but he sure thinks deep; He is a man of few wise words; but a lot of nonsensical ones. Sometimes it gets too emotional to the point where we end up in tears or we enjoy it way too much to forget about time.

For today, I guess it was the latter.

“You’re gonna miss it again dummy…” A menacing voice whispered near your ear.
“Wha-” Your head snapping to your side only to meet the monster’s side profile- grinning
“You’ve been thinking of me waaay too deeply.”
“Excuse me?!” You shrieked out pushing your glasses  back up your nose.

Taking in what he said, your head then again snapped into the opposite direction as you heard the doors of the bus closing and watched it as it roared in front of you.

There it goes…

You followed the green bus with your wide eyes till it was out of your sight. Giving up, you felt your shoulders deflate.

“Babo.” The guy beside you snickered as he made his way around the bench to sit next to you.

You scoffed.

“No one gave you the permission to sit there!” You cried out of frustration
“I didn’t ask for anyone’s permission either.” He gave you a look
“What are you still doing here?!” You sighed out irritated
“It’s too early to go back home.” He shrugged out.

You glanced at your watch.

“Early?! It’s