On The Bus... #2

It was a ride in the late afternoon. The bus is not that crowded, but there's almost no free seats left. I was seated at the last row, right side, just beside the emergency exit door (single-deck bus).

There is 1 free seat 2 rows in front of me, with the inner seat occupied by a stocky man. There is also a free seat beside me, last row of the bus.

Bus halts at bus-stop, mother comes up with her 2 children, presumably aged 6~8. The 2 children run towards the rear of the bus, and one of them plonks into the seat beside the stocky man. The other child squeezes into the seat with his brother (both of them are boys). Now there's 3 persons sitting on the two-seater (2 children + 1 adult).

Mother eyes the seat beside me, and walks right up to me. Stands beside me, and calls the child over. Child grins at mother and refuses, because he is a happy camper sharing the seat with his brother.

Mother, annoyed at this point of time, screams (regardless of the passengers on the bus), "BRYAN YOU COME OVER HERE THIS VERY INSTANCE! DON'T MAKE ME ANGRY!!!"

All eyes turn to look at the commotion. My eardrums are pierced by the shrill screaming. Obviously, that irritated the hell out of me (anybody would!). And it was only the beginning...

Child comes over to her mother sulkily, and mother tells child to sit on her lap. A conversation ensues between mother and child. Child soon exclaims that he is tired. Mother says, "Okay, you can sleep for a while before we get off." And the child naps in the mother's lap, with his feet sticking towards the bloke sitting in the middle seat (there are 5 seats on the last row), and his head resting on my left thigh.

Obviously, I am irritated at this point of time, but as all of you might say, he's just a kid, so let him be. So I did. I kept quiet, and his head rested on my thigh from then onwards for the ride.

The brother sitting in front, had fallen asleep by now as well, and his whole head and body was leaning against the stocky man.

After a few more stops, mother wakes up the child in her lap. Child stirs, and I see that the mother's jeans are wet, from the child's drool. I thanked my lucky stars the child wasn't any taller.

Now the child asks the mother, "Where is brother?" And at this point of time, the mother extends an arm to point at the other child (2 rows in front), still leaning against the stocky man, and exclaims loudly to her child, "Norh (Singlish word of exclamation), brother is sleeping in front lor!!!"

I am surprised and amazed that such a mother actually exists, with no sense of shame at all.

What's wrong with this world.