Followed

By LSC
The embarrassing experience that I had that day was deeply etched in my mind. It all happened on a regular Monday. School just ended and I was waiting for the bus at the bus-stop outside my school. After waiting for a while, the bus loomed into view and pulled over near the kerb. The crowd of pupils rushed into the bus and I had to fight like a salmon upstream to board the bus which was packed like sardines in a can. As I stepped into the bus, a gush of refreshingly cool air greeted me. However, I was hardly able to move in the bus.

“Just bear with it, it will be a matter of minutes before I reached the stop,” I told myself.

Luckily, a few bus stops later, the number of passengers gradually decreased. When it was one stop away from my destination, I was fortunate enough to be able to find a seat! I rested on the seat as I entertained the thought of having a nice foam bath when I got home. Just then, a gigantic man slumped on to the seat next to mine. I turned to look at him. He was stocky and scary-looking. His hair was in a wild disarray and his massive arms were covered with tattoos. He looked a gangster. I gulped.

“May I sit?” he asked me politely.

“Yes, of course…,” I stammered, trying to sound as polite as possible, afraid that I may enrage him.

As the man placed himself comfortably on the seat, he caused it to shake under his enormous weight. I kept shifting nearer to the windows, trying to stay as far away from the man as possible. Finally, the bus screeched to a halt and pulled over. I reached the bus stop near my house and I alighted hastily.

“Wow! Finally! I am free from that menacing-looking man! Just the thought of him makes me cringe!” I thought to myself.

I started walking briskly towards the direction of my house which was a stone’s throw away from the bus stop. Suddenly, I realised that the man had alighted too! He was following right behind me. Perspiration trickled down my forehead as my heart palpitated wildly.

“He must be a robber who plans to rob me of my money!” I thought as a scene from a movie I had watched recently flashed across my mind again.

I started running with every ounce of my energy, hoping to get rid of the man.

“Hey kid! Stop!” the man shouted from behind and started to run after me in hot pursuit!

“I’m right! He must be planning to rob me!” I said out aloud.

My suspicions were confirmed as I heard the man shouting at him from behind. Running was my forte and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Soon, I increased the distance between the “robber” and me.

Just then, I heard a loud sickening thud. I turned around and to my surprise, I saw that the man had fallen onto the ground!

“This is a great chance for me to escape from this dangerous situation!” I thought to myself as I hastened my pace.

“Hey, kid! Don’t run! You dropped your wallet on the bus!” the man shouted at the top of his voice.

I heard the most unexpected thing and stopped running immediately. I searched my pocket and realised that my wallet was really not with me！

“Why did you run away? I am here to return your wallet, kid!” the man shouted again.

Although I was still suspicious, I went back and attended to the man. He slowly stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.

“Here, take it, this is your wallet! Don’t be so forgetful again!” he said as he handed the wallet to me.

My face flushed as red as beetroot instantaneously as I was very ashamed of myself to have thought the worst of the man. The man meant no harm! He was kind enough to come and return me my wallet!

“Sorry! I thought you were going to hurt me!” I apologised to the man as I noticed the bruise on the man’s leg.

“It’s alright, kid. My appearance did cause many misunderstandings before! Got to go, I have not reached my destination yet!” said the man with a smile.

With that, he limped slowly back to the bus stop. I felt sorry for the man.

“Thank you!” I shouted from where I was standing and continued to walk back home.

It was an embarrassing experience for me. I learnt from the incident that I must not judge a book by its cover or a person by his appearance!