I sat on the back seat of the bus, my mind on the images of my dear friends - Wendy sitting next to the roadside with Dharma, Utami and Honey, with her warm and welcome smile, waving wildly at me when I boarded the bus. It was difficult to part with my new found friends.
Another jerk jostled me out of my reverie. I was on my way to Jogja after five days of paradise in Borobudur. It is probably one of the last places on earth to encounter such friendly and open hearted people, untouched by commercialisation and materialism, and totally devoted to their simple chores and spiritual practice. I missed the rides I had in the padi fields, watching the antics with the children, and the resounding horns that sounded five times a day throughout the town.
I stared at the bus conductor hanging precariously at the door. I tried to catch his attention but in vain. He seemed to be ignoring me on purpose, probably unhappy that my haversack was blocking the doorway. He scanned the streets for passengers, and signalled to the driver to move on by hitting the door with the coins in his hand, creating a piercing sharp sound.
The bus rambled on unsteadily amidst the heavy traffic. It would be stifling if not for the draft that came through the opened door. The view outside the bus was a puzzle to me as I could not recognise any of the words that were staring back at me.
I decided to try my luck with the lady sitting next to me.
'Jombor? Maliboro?'
She mumbled a few words, pointed at the bus conductor and hid her face with her white tudung.
I stared at the moving landscape, none the wiser.
Another jerk jostled me out of my reverie. I was on my way to Jogja after five days of paradise in Borobudur. It is probably one of the last places on earth to encounter such friendly and open hearted people, untouched by commercialisation and materialism, and totally devoted to their simple chores and spiritual practice. I missed the rides I had in the padi fields, watching the antics with the children, and the resounding horns that sounded five times a day throughout the town.
I stared at the bus conductor hanging precariously at the door. I tried to catch his attention but in vain. He seemed to be ignoring me on purpose, probably unhappy that my haversack was blocking the doorway. He scanned the streets for passengers, and signalled to the driver to move on by hitting the door with the coins in his hand, creating a piercing sharp sound.
The bus rambled on unsteadily amidst the heavy traffic. It would be stifling if not for the draft that came through the opened door. The view outside the bus was a puzzle to me as I could not recognise any of the words that were staring back at me.
I decided to try my luck with the lady sitting next to me.
'Jombor? Maliboro?'
She mumbled a few words, pointed at the bus conductor and hid her face with her white tudung.
I stared at the moving landscape, none the wiser.