Sunday, February 24, 2008

Train stories....

Alice and Heather

I noticed her and her two girls when they came in. She was one of those mums, over active and energetic, like a busy body. I noticed her because she had stood behind me as we waited for the train. I heard her talking to her kids, explaining mundane details loud enough for everybody to hear, I turned around, expecting the kids to be about 3 or 4, because that was the kind of voice she used…you know, the kind that is ever patient and nurturing….so I thought they were little ones…asking their thousand and one questions as usual. I turned around and they were twins…about 10 or 11 years old. I gave the mum a look of disapproval and hoped and prayed that they were not going to be in the same carriage as me. But we all know how these things work, not only were they in my carriage, but the twins had the two seats behind me and their mum had the seat beside me. I was not happy at all. Her seat number was next to the window but she asked me, no, she did not ask. She said “I’ll rather sit by the aisle if that’s okay, you know children; there will be a lot of going back and forth”. I did not say a word; I gave her a frown and sat by the window. Thus, the journey began. Before it even started, the mum made a big show of taking off their jackets and gloves, explaining the details as she did them, packing and unpacking several times. The girls of course, Alice and Heather, asking questions like “should I put the gloves in the pocket?” “Where did you put my jacket?” “did you put it up there?”. Etc etc. Anyway, then it was time for her to settle the ten year olds in their seats. For food, they had sandwiches, chips, candies, grapes, biscuits, sweets, and all sorts of chewing gums. For drinks, orange juice, apple juice and sprite or some kind of soft drink. For reading, comic books, magazines and story books. For music, Discman?(they both had ) and a catalogue of cds. For entertainment, all sorts of board games. All this, for a 4 hour journey…. And the train had a restaurant and shop…..I once travelled 36 hours on a bus with two sandwiches, an apple and a bottle of water….well, let me continue.

She settles them with all their stuff, and the journey begins. Three minutes later, something wheezes over my head and lands on the mother’s lap. A packet of candy. "Open!" she screams. That is what the child screamed "open!".I look back the child and frown at her. The mother meekly opens the packet and hands it over to her daughter, Alice. Two minutes later, another item wheezes past my ear, again, landing on their mother’s lap. “I don’t want that cd! Change it!” Again, the mother changes the cd and hands it back to the girl. Five minutes later, “I am thirsty!”. The mother says she should drink her soft drink or apple juice.”No! I want water!” The mother checks their supplies, there is no water. “Go and buy water! Go!” The mother goes to the restaurant, buys water and then makes a big show of serving the girls “here you go, one glass each, be careful now, I’ll just keep the bottle here, do you want more? No? Okay, the water is right here if you want”. Ten minutes later “I want to play a game!” two minutes after “I have to pee!” “I feel sick!” “I want candy!” on and on it went, this big girl went on terrorizing the woman, and the woman just did it all, in a very calm way...by this time, the guy on the other aisle is already sighing. I ignore them and stare out of the window, turning once in a while to eye the kids. After about an hour or so of the journey, I had to switch trains, as I collected my stuff, the mother was carrying one of them in her lap, and reading to them. Aloud, so the whole train could hear. I would have forgiven them all, if she had read anything else, but that....Winnie the fucking pooh!

No more...

There were no seats, the train was overbooked, but I had a seat. I was looking forward to reading and maybe a little writing when I noticed them. I only noticed them because they were the only blacks in the carriage, two young girls, and their grandmother, standing. The next stop was going to be in an hour and half. The old woman looked like she would fall any minute now. The conductor passed them and apologized about the situation. They were 19 other people in the carriage; I waited for about 3 minutes before I did what I knew I had to do. I gave up my seat for the old woman. At the time I did that, another girl had joined the group standing, a white girl, about 19 or so. She was there when I told the old woman to take my seat. At the next stop, an hour and half later, the old woman and her granddaughters went off the train, the old woman thanking me in Amharic and touching my arm as she left. I went back to my seat, the one I had given up for the old woman. Everybody in the carriage had seen me do that, so imagine my surprise when in the space of the two minutes it took for me to get there, the white girl had settled down with her stuff strewn all around her. I stopped in my tracks. For some reason, her action seemed so...inhumane...it reminded me of another human being I had come across last year...a person that was capable of turning goodness into something despicable...and that was what got me. It got me thinking about how easy it had been for this girl, in that one act, to spoil a good thing. I took a deep breath and smiled, no, nobody was going to make me feel bad for doing a good thing. No more. I smiled at her, and walked to another carriage where I had the pleasure of sitting with an old gentleman that treated me like a lady.

Twenty
The train was full, there was nowhere to sit, so I hung out between two carriages, I put my back pack on the floor, sat on it and settled into my book....and then, I heard his voice, "excuse me, do you mind if I join you? There are no seats". I looked up...and felt alarming constrictions in my chest..."ehhhh, sure, you can sit beside me if you want, I'll make space for you". I moved my bag and legs out of the way, "Thanks, that's really nice", he sat beside me...damn, if this was not a specimen of a man...he was beautiful. He could not have been more than 20, his height made him impossible to miss, his brown/bronze hair was rough and tussled, like he just woke up, his eyes were piercing...he had ear phones on...he looked like a bloody rock star. He gave me a smile, and closed his eyes, enjoying his music no doubt. I caught myself staring again...and then I remembered...I am not a teenager, I cannot gush over young boys, barely out of their teens. I hissed at the thought, and went back to reading. We made a grab for the two nearest seats, at the next stop. Unfortunately, we got only one. He gave me a rock star smile and said "you have it, its okay, I'll just take your former seat if you don't mind". I smiled..."go ahead"....damn. I am not twenty any more.

11 comments:

guerreiranigeriana said...

nice write up...the mother in the first situation would have annoyed me so...i don't think i would have lasted as long as you did...can't stand women who 'raise'/coddle their children like that...those children turn into girl in next situation...

...the white bitch in the second situation displays that attitude of, oh, the word is escaping me now...but its pressumptuous...that belief that something is owed to you, although you did nothing to deserve it except exist...i hate people like that...the people around should have said something...i am happy you gave up your seat...we are human and God will bless you...

...it seems to be the case that all the fine guys i see are twelve [twelve symbolizing the fact that they are younger than i am and thus off-limits]...what happened to my fine mates?...

7 said...

I thought you went private blogger...I need to catch up on your blog, excuse moi!

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

waffy i love ur 'resolution' jare! no more... yes o! no more crap, no more drama! we see it everyday at work, in relatuonships, even in a freaking cafe just checking something as inconsequential as a mail- people hate, people hurt others...no more!
i used to get worked up over every little ish, now i DEAL with the issue...and i exhale!

nothing do u!

Afrobabe said...

That mother and kids situation is the most annoying ever...and yes I see those same extremely young extremely handsome boys too....

Afrobabe said...

But I no want go prison for child abuse....abi na pedophile...

Allied said...

why are 'youngins' the cutest? na so.. this cutie came to my dad's house to see my brother.. i was just blushing over the place, i had to remind myself that he was my younger brother's friend - men that is a difference of 7 yrs

Ahh.. these mothers.. Those girls cannot appreciate her

Atutupoyoyo said...

I am refusing to believe your story about the mother and children on the train. It is borderline obscene.

Many ten year old children in Nigeria are already practically running their respective households, looking after younger ones and experimenting with cooking. Some of the conditions are slightly extreme but somewhere inbetween the two is the perfectly well deveopled ten year old kid.

Anonymous said...

If I had a £ for everytime I see the mother/child scenario nearly every day, I'd be able to buy a new camera. Baban'la nonsense!! It's all about discipline and how socially people think what is the best way to bring up a child. I'm not a parent,so I don't really have a place to talk. However, I was raised by parents who would have slapped the spit out of me for behaving like that.

As for the second encounter, you know, i no go stress myself. It's just selfishness. If people were considerate, half the problems in the world would not even be around.

That's me and my 60 second rant! :-)

Tolantino said...

I just hate and hate mothers who do that kind of ish either on the bus or on the train.They always pick confined spaces where you have to endure their condescending tone for a very long time and you can't get away. I mean.. wetin be her challenge? Especially when the kids have such bad attitudes like Alice and Heather..Who knows.. maybe the kids have learning disabilities which would probably explain their Attention-Deficit-Disorder-like behavior. Me I would have hissed like 1 million times along with eying all of them and making sure that they see my disapproval.

As for the oyinbo chic that obtained your space.. she would have heard it. Especially if I'd had to endure Mama Alice and Heather on the previous train for four hours.I would not take any prisoners at all.

But I gotta give it up to you. You handled the situation well. I should follow your blog more. As for fine boys.. dem no dey finish..there is nothing wrong with appreciating them however young or old... but man.. I just love good looking guys...this probably explains why I find my self with a new crush on a weekly/monthly basis.. i don tire!

Ms. Catwalq said...

Verse 1: I see mothers like that all the time where I live. I don't know how they define their motherhood as over indulging their children and over celebrating their lives. The kids never learn gratitude.

Verse II: talking to that heiffer would have been an insult to your voice box

Verse III: so what happened next? It better involve sweat, sheets and incoherent screaming.

Naapali said...

Waffy; why three posts in one? I know they are musings inspired by the clacking of trains. As for mother number one; maybe he children are what we used to call stupid and now can special needs? As for girl #2 just another sign of the selfish nincompoops that abound around us. Waffy, age is a number, looks like the young man got blood moving through you. That is something to be joyful for. You for embrace yourself and the young man.