One Way Ticket Home (Completed)

One Way Ticket Home [Completed- One shot]

A canopied bench, light rain

He was already there when I arrived an hour before my departure. I never knew his name. I just knew he headed to the farthest town in the south. Maybe one harbor city there. Maybe even crossed to a bigger island where the capitol was.

A lot of young men went to the capitol. At least to towns nearby. Catching dreams and fed their family before themselves. I knew some of our village men who went there. Not many of them back to our village.

But, I never knew where he came from. Never met him around here, nor from my village. He was a stranger.

A pass by a stranger I met in a bus station in central town when I traveled to the eastern town. He shared a bit of him. Too much for me to forget. Even after a month later. I still remember how he spoke, his expression, and the grieve he tried to hide.

I was just read him too much than I was intending to. Not that I stick in my nose in other people’s issues. I easily fell for a sad story. Even though he said that was his best story, I wouldn’t be fooled. I read enough romance stories. Watched too many dramas. Real live drama too.

Well, today I am just remained of him. Light rain at dusk, alone at the bus stop. People ran with their umbrella and suitcase. Chasing time or chased by time. I contented with a small memory of a stranger.

A month ago

I ran along the pavement. Drizzle poured down wet my scraf covered hair. The trendils of my bangs free off from the night sky colored scraf. My long braided hair bounced on my back. Along with my backpack. I found the entrance of bus station. I went straight to ticketing room with my soaked sneakers.

The ticket almost sold out. I was lucky got the last two ticket. The bus arrived in one hour. I went to the waiting room across the bus lines. Rows of metal bench filled by passangers and their lugagges. People were chatering and some of them sleeping.

The third row bench had two empty seats. I claimed one, side by a man. He had tousled hair colored in dirty blonde. He looked up when I sat with a thumping sound. A sunglasses cover up his face and scuffed chin. Like he was dragged from bed and shaved his beard half a sleep. I mumbled an apologize.

“What time is it?” he asked after ten minutes silence.

I faced him puzzled. “Do you ask me?” I said unconfidently.

He nodded. “I lost my watch,” he added.

I looked around for any clock. Far at back near doors. Inconvenience. So I held up my wrist watch, it counted at “Eleven thirty.”

His brows arched up the glasses. His hands smoothed frayed jeans he wore. “Why they keep us waiting for hours?” he muttered.

I shrugged. I was only sat for ten minutes. I didn’t know how long he had waited for his bus. I supposed no need to assure him for anything.

“Where do you go to?” he asked again. A common chit chat among passangers.

I told him my destination. I didn’t ask him back. I have no curiousity about him.

“Do you ever go to southern region?” he probed another question. He wiped his short bang, or kind of it.

I turned head to him. Maintain my calm face. “Its too far. I have no aquintance in there,” I answered honestly.

His head bounced down twice. “I go to every town in this country. Everywhere is far from home,” he told me like I interested.

I wasn’t. Indeed, annoyed. I wanted to read a young adult romance I bought yesterday. I didn’t want to talk to a stranger. Stranger with tattoos peaked up under his black tshirt. He had his jeans jacket on his lap. A small backpack under his feet.

“Do you go alone?” he whispered. Like afraid to wake up a sleeping baby. Faced me with glasses down to nose.

His eyes was dark and cold. It was drawn me to watched concernly. Like a little soul waved from deep pool there. He was drowning in blackest calm pool. Something pushed me to move forward. To reach those hands. He blinked.

“Oh, I am sorry. That was…, your eyes. I apologize,” I muttered. Caught in red hand. I cursed myself.

He made a smile. Warmer than his eyes. “It’s okay. I used to be watched. No need to apologize,” he reassured me.

“Well, I am not alone,” I said without hesitance.

“Why? I am not gonna rob you or something,” he offended. That was make me puzzled. He continued, “This is a little bit boring. No one tries to talk to me. Why do you lie? You don’t want to talk to me.”

I gasped. “You drunk?”

He folded his hands. “Do I look like drunk? Am I a punk?” He really was offended.

“I don’t mean that. What I mean is I am not alone since you talk to me. But, yes, I go alone. Why do we argue? You just are too sensitive.” I defended.

Once again he sliped down the glasses. Watched sharply like an old professor I ever had in economy class. “I am not sensitive. I just have sore spot you accidentaly poke,” he claimed.

I held a laugh. I was afraid poke his sore spot again. He difinitely in bad mood. “Please take my apologize,” I said firmly.

He drew deep breathe. Unfolded hands and put his glasses back on its place. “It was rough night. I suppose not to channel the anger to you. You are the innocence here. Take my apologize too.”

“Zero to zero,” I said. He sounded honest, and sad. Everyone has their rough time. His just recently. So I guessed he need to figure it out.

“How is your last night. Are thrilled for your journey? Bus trip must be a long journey to take alone. I can write a song with one way trip. If I don’t take a nap.” This time he took off his glasses. I could see dark half moon under his eyes. A tired face came to surface.

I looked away when he drew his eyes to me. Couldn’t red handed again. It was bad if he thought I ogle at him. “I slept well. I have packed my backpack two days ago. Got my ticket and settled a place to live there. Overall everything is on the track. Cross finger for luck.”

“And, rain check. It wouldn’t hurt. So you are moving?”

I nodded. “I am moving on. Start a fresh chapter.”

“How does it feel? Don’t you long for the reminiscence? To back where you are safe and sound?” he probed.

“Why should I? I move for good. I have finished school. I get a good dream job. Find nice apartment to live independently. Reminiscence such a strong word. I can call my family if I miss them. And I believe I am safe in the future I am pursuing right now.” I told him a lot. Contradiction him. But he didn’t offended this time. He was on deep thought.

He drummed his fingers on his knee. “What if this is the last time you meet one of them?” he questioned me.

I raised brows. It was sound serious. “So I guess I will say my farewell,” I said uncertainly.

He clicked his fingers. “You can’t. Do you have someone important in where you left?”

I had to think for a minute. Sure I had someone important, like parents and siblings. Why he sounded wavered. So I told him, “Of course I have. Outside my family, I have best friends. But, we can still exchange texts.”

He shook his head. His face looked troubled. “Someone you can not live without. Someone you cherish in your life. You want to hold them but have to set them free. Someone who make you wake up in the middle of night just to find they are not in the other side of the bed. That you just sleep alone and shiver. Someone you can call as home. Where you belong into. So you right now astray. Run in the wild forest with swayed tail and blurry eyes. A loner that has to roam this cruel world only with his own. Someone important.”

I froze while he managed his breathe. His hand combed his hair. He avoided my eyes. He spilled his heart on a stranger. Oh. My. God!

“Forget it. I am just rambling,” he muttered. Hands clasped on knees. His sleeve rode up, showing more tattoos. And maybe pains that he hide underneath layers skin.

I reach for his back. Hesitance, but my heart said this guys needed a good gesture. I drew circles on his back. “I left my home. I am scared with new address. I could lost at new streets and alleys, they are like maze. But I believe I will bump into someone kinded heart who guides me to my address. Maybe he will stay for tea and we become friend.”

“How can you forget your old address?” his voice sounded low.

“I never forget my old address. My feet will led me there, always. It has its own direction, right towards somewhere I belong into.”  I could saw a familiar face in my head. A man with a bright smile and open arms. He called my name softly. I smile back at him, my address.

“I even can’t say goodbye,” he confessed. He made a face when I redrew my hand from his back. But he shook his head.

Well, me too. Couldn’t tell him a proper goodbye. I swallowed my ‘see you again’ with the tears. Pushed a fake smile and false hope. “I ran to came here. I ran so I don’t face him too long. If I don’t go right now, I will never have another chance. It is not that I don’t love him enough. Instead, I love him much so I want to build our castle for the future. He will leave too. We will have separate way one way or another. We believe our path will cross again, and this time will make us stay together longer and forever.” I smiled weakly.

He stared at me. Mouth sligthy open. “Why we don’t run away and against the odds? Why we have to be star crossed love? Why we don’t just fuck off with the mess and hold each other hand?”

I shrugged. I didn’t knew either. “Our scenarios already written in the stars. Couldn’t help it.” I looked down my hands. Picked my nails.

“You know what? You are just naïve,” he pointed.

It was hurt being told as naïve. Because it was true. I was a mess who runaway to be honest. I hate had to made decision which sacrificed both sides. I was more hurt watched him hurt by my selfish wish. But it has already decided. We both made our decision. That was just the beginning of our relationship. He was the king I dethrone. Because I couldn’t be his light anymore. The heartache I gave to him going deeper and deeper. The wasted nights we spent to sung and done last dance. I cried out onto our separate. But that was the only answer.
I gaze up. A bus came to line. The door opened. People went out one by one. Walked fast under the rain.

“Do you buy round-trip ticket?” He suddenly asked me.

I sliped my hand to my jacket pocket. I drew out the small paper. “No. I have one way ticket. There is no point to back sooner,” I told him.

He tapped my arm. “That’s true. We are moving on. Taking off from unsure fate,” he said. He left my arm to folded my fingers around the ticket. “Here, you have your one way ticket home.”

We exchange smile.

The speaker announced next bus trip. With a sigh, he wore his jeans jacket and put on glasses. He stood up and grabbed his backpack. There was his journey begin. He nodded at me before walked towards the bus. He waved his hand without looked back. But I knew he smile wider.

A canopied bench, light rain

I sighed. If only our path crossed again, I would say my thank you. Or at least gave him a proper farewell. An empty wish only.

A sound of vehicle drew my focus. My bus came to the bus stop. I stood up and waited some passengers got off the bus. Tapped my card and found a empty seat.

I looked outside the glass window. Rain was still pouring down but the sky turned brighter. Higher building arose into sight. Billboards show colorful photograpic and eye catching words. Until a big screen show off a group of men. A band from our country. I look carefully the shortest man among those four men. Tousled hair, crooked smile, dark pool of his eyes, tattoos on arms, and another black tshirt.

The stranger I ever met turn out to be a famous people all the region known.

I smile back at the screen.

The end