Commonwealth Essay
4. “These are the things which make me who I am”
In the wee hours …
I dragged both of my weighty legs sluggishly on the ground, with my bulky bag on my hunching back; my eyelids were on the brink of collapsing. I rubbed my lethargic eyes as I strolled reluctantly to the bus-stop.
Dressed in a clean and neat white coloured uniform with my school badge pinned on it, I was an “ambassador” of my prestigious school. With that in mind, I kept my shirts tucked in, looking presentable.
“Eeeek!” A double decked bus screeched its brake, coming to a halt at the bus-stop. On my peripherals, the traffic light was turning from a green blinking man to a red man.
I sprinted across the road to the bus, waving frantically, hoping it would wait for me.
Gasping for breath, I boarded the bus and tapped my EZ-link card on the machine. The door shut closed. The bus captain stared at me coldly. Without saying anything, he continued to drive again.
The bus was extremely crowded. I could hardly move. There were mostly students in clean and neat uniform. After a quick scan of the bus, I resigned to fate that there was no seat for me and my heavy bag.
Slowly, the bus stopped at the next bus stop. A frail and elderly woman was making her way up the bus. She approached a student with long, stylish hair and an earring on his left ear on the green seat. He sat with his legs open widely acting ignorant.
“Can you please let me have the seat?” She pleaded sincerely.
“No,” the student replied irritatingly and rolled his eyes disrespectfully.
He turned his head away rudely and feign oblivious to the old lady who seemed to be struggling to support herself with her thin and bony legs.
“I really need it please,” the old lady continued with hope.
“There are so many seats in this bus, why can’t you ask another person!” The student barked at her unmannerly, with his bloodshot eyes frustrated.
Tens of people were engrossed with them. But none did anything, totally nothing. It was totally unjustifiable for the student to do such a thing. Where was my moral courage? I searched deep in to my conscience, feeling the guilt overwhelming me.
“There is nothing I can do,” I whispered inaudibly to myself.
Deep down I knew it was a lie, but I felt great comfort in it. Looking at the pale face of the old lady supporting herself on the shaky bus. The lady let out a weak and helpless sigh that slowly melted away my dignity. The shame of letting an old lady get oppressed by a irrational person irked me.
I hunted awfully for the courage deep within me. Who am I? I affirmed my identity. I could not stand still following others who are afraid. I must believe in myself.
I stood confidently in front of the boy, looking into his eyes with a sense of justice building up in me.
“I think what you did was wrong,” I told him frankly.
“Who you are to lecture me?” He pointed at me ungraciously.
There was no way I could speak with this uncivilized and unreasonable person.
He spat a string of abusive words at me.
“Thud!” The bus came to a pause and the doors went open.
“I might have to ask you to leave,” The bus captain approached him with a look of detest.
The student got off the seat reluctantly and knocked the people in his sight away with his shoulders harshly. He got down the bus and started doing obscene actions. He did not feel the least ashamed of himself. Everyone on the bus was petrified and shocked. No one muttered a single word.
“You did great,” the old lady looked broke the silence with a pleased look.
“Thank you,” I grinned proudly, the joy in me was uncontrollable.
I was contented with what I did. This was something many people could do but many did not do.
This is the pride of being who I am. It provides me a sense of identity that i uphold and respect. I do the things i feel right no matter what the costs and limits. I live with this pride guiding me in my everyday life.
