The Man who was Afraid

             
#01               


                The man who was afraid.

 You know those big busses with a terrible cold conditioner in there so you are forced to take a hoody with you even if it is 96 degrees outside. Yeah. I took that bus trip to B***** and while I was in line to get on “board” I saw a very strange man behind me. He was Indian – looking he was wearing a sport pants and a sport hoody and of course to complete the whole sport thing - the snickers. But I did not hold my attention on him for too long, I took my luggage into the bus and entered it. A cold breeze rushed into my face making my skin shake for a couple of seconds – hate that feeling. Always think that it is going to last for the whole trip, but then I guess, I just get use to it.
  I sat on an empty seat, hoping that no one is going to sit wright next to me, because I always feel uncomfortable and “constrained”. Well, I was lucky then. I took out my IPod headphones, one of them did not work at all, but I still put them both in just for an “image”. I listened to the music for about an hour and then that man from the line was coming towards me. And now I focused my eyes on him little bit closer. Oh my god.
 The man was really dirty, and because of his tan it looked like he was dirty since Abraham Lincoln. I could see the dirt under his nails, almost if he dig a hole this morning. The sport suit was, well, how to say that, there was too much sweat in there just for one man. His snickers were once white and clean, now I could see some pieces of trash and dirt on them. He was walking really slow maybe it was his back or a leg or maybe he liked that way, I don’t know. When he passed me that smell of his, garbage and trash combined with the sweat, rushed into my nose and all the way to my lungs. That was more than disgusting, believe me. He passed me and went to the bathroom that was in the end of the bus. Wow. I moved to the seat next to me away from the aisle, so I would not notice him coming back. Lucky again.
 At the time when bus arrived I was freezing to death and when the driver said “S**** Station” I took my bag and rushed out of the bus as quickly as possible. You know, stations are the places where you can meet lots of people from different backgrounds, you can see rich people holding their IPhones 4 in one hand and in the other little bag from Gucci or D&G that cannot fit anything. There are children, homeless people, busy people etc.
  And suddenly something caught my attention – it was that dirty guy. He was walking in front of me. I could not understand how did he get off the bus faster than I did, but no matter… Now I understood why he was walking like this. His right leg was slower than the other one. Than I thought he is ill and that I should not stare at him the way I did. I looked away; I passed him (holding my breath, though) and went to the bathroom.
 I think seven or nine minutes passed as I exited the bathroom. I am not describing my restroom scene, because… well you know… I looked around and I again saw that person standing in line to buy a sandwich or whatever. You know how when you are not making an effort to focus on something, but the thing, just drags you in… So I sat on a chair and I started starring at that dirty middle-aged man, and there is an explanation! It simple as a rock! I GOT CURIOUS – what would the man like him buy to eat and how would he do it! I know, I sound mad but the thing is going to get even wilder! Believe me!
 So I sit there and watch. I got excited when it was his turn to order. But. The only thing he asked for were the napkins. Yes, napkins. He took them and went slowly, in his own way. And you know what – I followed him. He was walking towards the elevator, when he reached it, he took one of the napkins, and you know what he did? He cleaned his finger and threw out the napkin, and then he took another napkin and cleaned the elevator button, so he could call it. And only after that he pressed the button. Can you believe that!? So try and draw a picture of a dirty, that almost literary has dirt and trash on himself, Indian-looking not a very young man cleaning the button, well I guess, not to get dirty!
 I couldn’t hold it to myself.
“ Why are you doing this?” I asked.
He turned his head and looked at me with the eyes of his that were full of misunderstanding and he started walking towards me.
 Well, I believe that every single person who is reading this had the same feeling once or more in their lives. I stood there and I wished that my words would come back and live with me, but no…
 When he reached me, he whispered.
“ Because boy! It is totally unclean! Imagine how many people touched this button!”
I did not know why he whispered; maybe he was afraid that someone might overhear us, I don’t know. But what I did know is that he had terrible breath, in fact I knew that he had those ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and that rotten smell of his made me to hold my breath again! That is why I did not answer anything… Although, he continued:
“ How can you possible be not frightened by this!?”
I did not answer. The man put his eyes down disappointedly, and went back in the elevator, that was still opened, almost like waiting for him.
 He took out another napkin, cleaned and pressed the button. He looked at me and said:
“ Well, I AM afraid”
And the elevator closed.