It was a bright Wednesday morning, one of my usual days to get to campus and proceed with my usual activities as the best student in my faculty. My university is regarded as one of the best in the country, as it is also the university, I worked so hard to get a fully sponsored government scholarship. As far as my course is concerned, it is so far from the best in the country for me as they are good at what they do and how they prioritize the academic excellence of their students.
It was a usual day for me, going to the library to get a new book on engineering which was released just a few days ago. As a passionate student I am always on the prick of learning new stuff so as to improve my academics in order to get the scholarship going till the very day I graduate. After getting my new engineering book from the school's library I rushed to go check the result of our Mid-Sem exams which has been posted on the notice board in front of the faculty. As the best student in my faculty, I seem not to bother about the score which is not something new to me but I just keep my pace of hard work in other not to shame my parent and probably make them proud one day.
As usual I was on top of my class and with a broad smile of reassurance of a continued scholarship, I happily walked to the bus station and patiently waited for the bus heading in the direction of my home. I always enjoy my bus ride to and from campus since it is the only means of transportation available for my easy movement. I have my student card with my monthly student discount fully uploaded and thus have nothing to worry about transport fare as long as I use the public transport system and not the private.
I barely get a place to sit on the bus whenever I am headed back home from the campus and that has not really been an issue of displeasure since I am already aware of the fate that awaits me when boarding the public bus back home. In my country it is always honorable to leave a space for either the elderly or handicapped or for the pregnant women to first take their seat before you follow. Having all this in mind, it has always been less of a worry to be disturbed by not having a seat on the bus. I really do enjoy standing close to the window, taking a nice view of the sea while enjoying is beautiful breeze as I happily head back to my home. This has always been the best of what I have had while growing up from a lower-ranked family in the country, yet we had absolutely nothing to worry about.
My parents are really hard-working people who did their best to ensure that I have the best and most easy life together with my siblings, so we do not have to worry or be greedy about what others possess. My elder brother, who is also a decade older than me, helps my father at his barbering shop while my mother takes care of her small provisions shop. My little baby sister of whom I am seven years older enjoys her youth by just hanging out with her friends at school and also having an easy life even at home. My family is the best thing I have, and I cannot afford to disappoint their efforts of making me the man that I have always dreamt of becoming.
On this fortunate day on the bus heading back home entered a girl who was running as fast as her legs could carry her just so to catch up on the bus. She nearly fought the bus driving with his claims trying to drive away despite seeing her trying to catch up with the bus. She was literally running out of breath when she brought the driver to a halt and took a place standing next to me. She was the most beautiful girl I have seen in my entire being as human. With her small, egged eyes and widely spread eyebrows and a beautiful lip, she fell on me when the bus came to a quick stop. Her items fell from her bag as she quickly bowed to pick them up back to her bag. I rendered a helping hand as we picked her stuff back into her back and later offered her a seat sited close to the back door of the bus. I could barely take my eyes off her as her beauty took me by surprise and I gently went to stand right behind her seat. She had a plain book in her hand and a pencil. I got curious of what she might be doing with the plain sheets and wanted to see what she was up to but hold and behold to my surprise, she was sketching a tired old man who was sitting right opposite to where she was seated. Her sketch was astonishing as I have never seen anyone sketch like she does, and the fascinating side of her being a woman makes it more realistic.
I got closer and closer to my destination, yet I could not get my eyes off her. The best I could do to engage in a conversation was to compliment her drawing as she lifted up her face and smiled back at me saying
[Thank you for the compliment]. My heart raced as my eyes could not believe that she smiled back at me saying "thank you". I stumbled as I tried getting off the bus at my destination yet could not get my eyes off her. I stood at the bust station just looking at the bus while the driving speed was away from me. My heart could not stop racing, and I regretted not getting her number before stepping off the bus.
My best friend, by the name Deon, was at the bus station waiting for me because we were to get on the boat for our fishing adventure. I work part time as a sailor, and we often go to the sea depths to catch some fish and sell them at the open markets. Our sales rise mostly on the market days since people from far and near communities come to the open market as items are cheaper on those days. We are making quite a few changes with our part-time job but not enough to take care of our expenses. Myself, together with my best friend Deon ventures into fishing since it helps us get away from the misery of the world and contemplate while in the middle of the sea. We have enough time to talk more about how far we have come and the possible ways to achieve our goals. Although our families try their best to take care of us, but always requesting money for upkeeps becomes challenging every single day, and the best was to help ourselves was get the part-time job and earn some extra change on the side since they will not allow us help them in the shops, yet always reiterate on why we should focus on our studies and become responsible individuals in the future.
It was a tough day on the sea today because we could not catch a sardine, not to talk of a whole fish for the market. Deon, who is most passionate about sailing, has been really worried that we came back offshore empty handed with nothing to sell at the market while all I did all day was think about the girl, I met on the bus today and when I could possibly see her again. I could not hide my smile when her thoughts came to mind and the light in my heart kept growing bigger and bigger just by thinking of her. Deon got a bit furious as to why I am not bothered about our business for the day and all I could do was think of the girl I met on the bus. Deon is kindhearted but takes his business seriously than any other thing. We both walked back home and headed straight to my house to have our dinner before he heads back to his home. Deon is being raised by his mother's sister. He lost his parents in an unprecedented car accident as they were returning back home from a business trip. A business trip that was supposed to be a life-changing deal became the greatest nightmare of his life. He has since been living with his aunt and she has been nothing but kind to him. He sees it necessary to be successful so he can pay her back all the work she has done by raising him into a responsible individual. He is so obsessed with success that he leaves no room for failure in his life.
Although we had quite a rough day at sea, we enjoyed our dinner, had some dessert, and had a little bit of chitchat before he headed back to his aunt's house. I spent all night thinking and smiling at the thought of the mystery girl on the bus and I wished I had asked her name at least before alighting off the bus earlier that today.