It was Saturday morning and my mind was full of things to do at weekend. I was going home after a week in boarding house. So there I was, sitting on a rather full angkot. Angkot is a minibus turned into a public transportation.
I could not go inside because I carried a heavy bag on my shoulder, a plastic bag on my left hand, and another bag on my right. Plus, the passengers didn’t want to move aside so I sat near the door.
The driver was speeding up and I wondered if he had to go somewhere immediately by way of his driving. He stopped to pick up and drop off passengers with such a speed while he kept on telling them to hurry. The driver was mad, I thought. “Hey you, go inside!” Suddenly he pointed at me while driving, telling me not to sit near the door. My spirit dropped suddenly. Oh, okay, I thought, now that other passengers gave room to me, perhaps after hearing his yelling.
All passengers seemed so gloomy when the driver suddenly asked for our fares. It wasn’t common. Usually we pay the fare after we reach our destination. Soon all passengers had already given the money to the driver while he was still driving (what a dangerously great performance) except me. I was still looking for some money in my pocket but it was so difficult to do with bags in my hands!
"Hey, who hasn’t paid yet! WHO HASN’T PAID YET??!"
I looked at the driver’s eyes with so much contempt while my hand was trying to locate the money. Without saying a thing, I handed him the money at last. What did he think? That I was going to jump out of the door of the speeding car so that I didn’t have to pay???
"WHERE DID YOU GET ON?"
WHAT??! I already gave him more money and I didn’t ask for any change because I didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore but now he thought I didn’t pay enough!
So, he really ruined my day. My mood dropped to zero. Maybe minus three. But then I eventually made it into a three plus through the rest of the day by pitying him. Can you believe it?
Yes, I pitied the driver for being such a rude person. I pitied him for being so impatient. I pitied him for being angry easily. I pitied him that he might need the money so much to help his family so he had to drive crazily that morning without thinking of his safety and his passengers’ safety. I hoped he would realize his mistakes. I hoped he would be a better person. But most of all, I pitied myself for being so upset for such trivial things… I blamed myself for letting someone ruined my mood. I felt guilty for letting the negative energy of other people unbalancing my energy. I supposed the driver didn’t mean to….
