It was my first time. Since I'd come to Mumai city, i'd heard a lot of tales , mostly horror, about the subarban trains. So there i was a novice, huddled on the subarban platform, awaiting the train to CST main. What had I been thinking, I told myself. From the chatter of the Mob of women clustered around me, I gathered that one had to be nimble to get aboard. Like a goat readying to jump off a cliff, like a person readying to walk , no pushed ! off the plank into shark infested waters, I tensed as the train drew near. Whoosh! the breath left my body, as I was carried aboard with the wave of humanity climbing in, even as i was at the last minute changing my mind about getting aboard.
Too late! Like a fish caught in a waterfall, I found myself caught up and pushed into the nothingness yonder. I plunged ! I lunged! N when i opened my eyes, there I was, standing among the sabre tooth tigers, I mean daily commuters. Standing ? If a plank nailed onto a wall stands, if a sardine clings onto the tin its canned in, stands, then yes, I stood. Making myself as small as possible, carefully avoiding my neighbours elbow, which was strategically jammed in to pierce my eye if I budged so much as an inch.
Suddenly there was a lot of space around me. Bewildered, happy I stretched my cramped limbs, and ducked ! as two tigers settled a territorial battle, verbally clawing each other to shreds, fangs bared. The rest had hastily moved aside as the threat of fisticuffs became all too real. There I was, like the afore mentioned goat, only now I stood petrified like the bait, between the tiger and the hunter.
A kindly hand reached out, just as an ill timed push threatened to propel me straight outside the door, of the faast moving train, and plucked me away from the fracas. "Where get off," asked a kindly old lady, my saviour ! "M...M..Masjid," I stuttered. "Next station then," she replied. Her eyes locked with a woman in front, an unspoken command passed, and I found myself being passed forward, the pillow in passing the parcel, was my thought as I neared the door and the train the station. Whoosh! There we go again, I thought, as Mount Vesuvias erupted, and like the smooth flowing hot lava, I was deposited on the platform.
Yes! i had travelled by subarban rail at peak hours ! and lived to tell the tail, turn tail ? No! Tale.
Too late! Like a fish caught in a waterfall, I found myself caught up and pushed into the nothingness yonder. I plunged ! I lunged! N when i opened my eyes, there I was, standing among the sabre tooth tigers, I mean daily commuters. Standing ? If a plank nailed onto a wall stands, if a sardine clings onto the tin its canned in, stands, then yes, I stood. Making myself as small as possible, carefully avoiding my neighbours elbow, which was strategically jammed in to pierce my eye if I budged so much as an inch.
Suddenly there was a lot of space around me. Bewildered, happy I stretched my cramped limbs, and ducked ! as two tigers settled a territorial battle, verbally clawing each other to shreds, fangs bared. The rest had hastily moved aside as the threat of fisticuffs became all too real. There I was, like the afore mentioned goat, only now I stood petrified like the bait, between the tiger and the hunter.
A kindly hand reached out, just as an ill timed push threatened to propel me straight outside the door, of the faast moving train, and plucked me away from the fracas. "Where get off," asked a kindly old lady, my saviour ! "M...M..Masjid," I stuttered. "Next station then," she replied. Her eyes locked with a woman in front, an unspoken command passed, and I found myself being passed forward, the pillow in passing the parcel, was my thought as I neared the door and the train the station. Whoosh! There we go again, I thought, as Mount Vesuvias erupted, and like the smooth flowing hot lava, I was deposited on the platform.
Yes! i had travelled by subarban rail at peak hours ! and lived to tell the tail, turn tail ? No! Tale.
aptly describes life at the grass root level..nice piece..
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