Forced to wait

Staring down at my phone. Voices passing by, as people walked in front of me. The seat was hard below my backside. And elderly lady sat beside and smiled at me.

“Have you been waiting long dear?” she asks, leaning towards me.

“Almost twenty minutes now” I responded looking up from my phone and smiling back at her.

The clouds were just about to break over the top of us. With only a seat there was nothing to shelter the old lady and myself from the rain.

As the minutes continued more and more people approached the seat. These were people from all walks in life. A tired nurse fresh from her shift was forced to stand and wait. I stood and offered her my seat, though she declined. A young car salesman stood beside the nurse. There was an elderly man sitting on the other side of the elderly lady. And a group of students also stood around the seat waiting with the rest of us.

The chit chatter from the students almost made it impossible for anyone else to hold a conversation. Not that anyone else aside the old lady and I wanted to communicate. We whispered to each other about the lack of respect the children had, and how different it was in yesteryear.

The clouds finally broke and the rain dripped down onto us all. There was squeals from some of the female students as their makeup ran down their face, which made the school boys break out in laughter to see the girls in such hysterics. The nurse, the salesman, the two elderly citizens and I could not help but snicker at the school children.  The nurse too tired to care let the rain fall onto her face, as for the rest of us, we held up our bags and suitcases to try and protect ourselves. After all when the time comes we don’t want to be saturated wet.

As the clouds thickened the temperature dropped. Water was running down the back of my jacket. I was becoming impatient. I was wet and cold, and because I had to wait I was now even more late as well. All I wanted to do was go home. It is times like these I wish I still smoked cigarettes. The wait never seemed so long when I would smoke.

The old lady beside me wanted to keep conversation with me, but by this time I was far to agitated to engage. I turn my head down to look at my phone. Still with my bag over my head. I stared down at the time. I had been sitting here for thirty five minutes now. Only twenty four minutes left to wait.

I looked to the right of me with anticipation. I thought I heard what I was waiting for. I was wrong. The rain kept falling. The drops were heavy. There was no escape for any of us. We were all forced to sit and stand around waiting.

The old lady had given up trying to talk to me and turned to the old man sitting on the other side. They seemed to be content with the rain. The salesman and nurse looked as tired as I was. The school kids however were now jumping in the puddles that had formed on the ground. Stealing each other’s school bags and running around the seat I was sitting on.

Their high pitched voices were becoming frustrating. I had never been a patient person and although they were playing innocently, the sound was beginning to annoy me, as well as the nurse standing beside me. We exchanged looks to say “Oh my god, would they just shut up”

If I had any other choice I wouldn’t be here waiting, I would have been home by now. It had been a long day and like the nurse the last thing we wanted to do was wait. Sadly due to circumstances I did not have any other choice.

Despite best efforts to umbrella myself from the rain I was now saturated. My feet in my socks and shoes felt like they were standing in a swamp. Drops of water dripped down my loose strands of hair. There was absolutely nothing I could do. I stood from my seat and began pacing up and down behind it. I really was trying my best to remain patient. If I wasn’t already running late I would not have been forced to wait now. With only eleven more minutes to wait. I was really starting to get antsy.

More people were starting to wait with us now. A couple with a pram arrived. Despite how agitated I was, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little baby. With only a blanket covering the top of the pram I was sure the baby would be cold and wet like me. I was not going to be hasty to judge the parents, after all we are all forced to be waiting together. I just wish they thought this waiting idea through before dragging their baby into this horrible weather.

Another woman arrived. She appeared very ill and withered. She seemed to be rocking back and forth. Without being judgemental I assumed she was on drugs, though I believe I was right.

I could now count down the minutes before this long wait would be over. Still pacing up and down the small area I kept looking to the right of me.

“Any minute now” I kept repeating to myself quietly.

As I was pacing up and down I noticed everyone was starting to line up. Even the two elderly people got up off their seat and joined the end of the line. At first I was unsure why, until I looked down at my phone again. YES this was it finally the wait was over. I stood behind the old man in the line and looked to my right for the last time.

Finally no more waiting the bus had finally arrived.