A Korean Bus Ride
(continued…)
It had been only five minutes and I had started losing my mind already. I looked behind for vacant
seats. Unfortunately, most of them were filled. But, even if they were vacant, I would have hesitated. I
would have worried “Oh ! What will he think about me if I leave? Isn’t it insulting?” I closed my eyes instead and hoped that the crackling won’t bother me when the bus starts. Engine noise would overpower these non-stop clicks. Soon, the driver entered and I cheerfully waited for the bus to start. As he
switched on the engine, the light tremor brought some happiness momentarily, but the click overtook
it. The bus hadn’t started yet and I was sure then that the clicks would stop bothering me soon. And the
bus slowly departed, still between the audible clicks from behind and with infinite hopes within. The
bus slowly took a reverse, paused, hissed through the brake drum and smoothly entered the road. Alas!!
There came the click, this time louder. The engine hummed dull and the bus was noiseless. I suddenly
missed my Leyland engines in India. I could have handled 10 such people behind me with just one of
those noisy beast engines.
And there he goes! The clicks were in new vigour. Probably he too was waiting for the bus to start, for
his clicks sounded enthusiastic. What the hell was he chewing so hard?? Steel! May be. I will believe it if
somebody excavates some stainless steel toffees from his mouth. Or maybe he had metal braces. Whatever it be, it wasn’t funny and I was fighting my temper. I felt like slapping him; slap him hard enough
to get rid of those metal junks from his stupid mouth. I shut my eyes and plugged my ears, hoping the
noise to cease, or at least subside. But the more I tried to get rid of it, the more was its closeness. The
noise grew loud with determination. It felt like being in a cycle race when your adrenalin pumps detecting the jerky sounds from the sprockets of the cycles behind. No! I was not for a race. I just needed
some peaceful sleep.
The clicks were increasing. Oh, please stop. Don’t you have mercy, I started pleading inside my head. I
sensed the sadist mocking cruelly with his never ending clicks. Just in that helpless moment, I remembered a trick to sleep that my mother had taught me as a kid. “It is simple”, she had said, “Recite ‘Rama
Rama’ continuously and you will sleep soon”. The trick had worked before my recitation began with a
nee ray of hope.
“Rama Rama Rama” click click. Oh stop please! Again, “Rama Rama Rama”, clicks “Rama Rama” click
“Rama” click
To hell with this. I looked at the watch, we had 15 more minutes. I decided to stay awake. Just 15 more
minutes to freedom before I can sleep comfortably in the Korea’s fastest KTX train.
The bus stopped and few passengers got in. Even in the state of agony I was in, it was a delight to watch
the glamorous Korean ladies in short mini-skirts parading elegantly on that morning bus. Thanks to the
Korean summer, it had brought out the miniskirts (or micro skirts) from the ladies wardrobe. One of
the girls looked like the famous Korean actress Kim, Tae Hee. Well, that’s not uncommon in Korea; one
just need to go to Seoul, dump a lot of cash, undergo some horribly painful surgery and distort your
face to match Kim Tae Hee or anyone you wish. I won’t be surprised if one of these plastic surgeons gets
to be in the list of top billionaires of Korea.