The Bus Ride
Sometimes the smallest encounters leave an imprint that stays for longer than you would expect. A moment becomes a memory, amalgamated from both sweet and bitter experiences. I love the prairie summers, and getting home on the bus is my favorite part of the day. Sometime in July, 2024, I was all set to enjoy my bus ride. As usual, I preferred taking the seat close to the exit door. Holding my phone in my hand, I became engrossed in scrolling and was so lost in it that I didn’t realise what was going on around me. In the blink of an eye, I felt someone had pulled mobile phone from my hand. My instinctive reaction was the same as it had been when I was a child. Like a five-year-old, I cried out, “Mummy, mummy, please help me!” Interestingly, none of the passengers reacted. That left me with many questions, as well as regrets about how absorbed I had been in my mobile phone. I believed that my phone contacts, pictures, wallet, messages, notes and much more were gone, forever. My body wa...