A Fellow Passenger

The trees seemed to be moving along with the bus, but that wasn't true. Erica knew it. Her father explained it to her when she was six. Her daily bus trips were so valuable to her that even when it rained she chose this transportation. Three years of having a job and still not enough cash to buy herself a car. Her so-called friends showed pity over her. But she was careless. Few talks didn't bother her. Her stop was approaching fast and the anticipation awaited her when the conductor came. Surely sometimes she thought she got a free ride, until he showed up to cut the ticket. Not even once, did she get a free ride. But again, it didn't bother her. Louis the old man, in the bus, was a nice person. He smiled every time he saw her and also now as he approached, smiling at her. Erika doesn't have to utter the address. Louis knows that too well.

"Have a nice day," he says.
"You too." she replies.

She doesn't want to leave, but she has to. Work is work and she knows that too. The big glass door slides automatically as she enters. Waving at her friendly fellow workers she walks past them; straight to her desk.
Workload was a quiet underestimated word for Erica, until she actually got to face. It was definitely tiring. Her boss and her superiors were all kind to her. Except for the nosey, forty-two years old Katy, who doesn't miss a chance inviting her to speak about her private life. Gossip is an unhealthy obsession; thinks Erica.

She definitely crossed the part of her life when she gossiped about the new quarterback or who got suspended, when she was in school. That was eight years ago. At twenty-four she didn't like gossiping at all.

When lunch time came, she went with her fellow colleague, Anna, to the Deli, to have lunch. She didn't like food served at the cafeteria. It was either too spicy or too bland. As the day proceeded with caffeine in her system, Erica was ready to leave. She flushed at the thought of seeing the gorgeous man again.

He came almost every day at the same time. Except on Fridays. At first, Erica used to wonder why, but after one year she has gotten used to it. Her hands were sweaty and her cheeks had tainted pink. Her eyes were the same brown, as her hair, twinkled as she wished to see him. In the back of her mind she knew she was doing an unholy thing, given she did it without his knowledge. But Erica couldn't help herself. There was no metal on his fingers either. Why would she back out? But then again, there was no question of backing out as she never was in the game. It was just her eyes and his face, which was square in shape. His eyes, same as hers, contained depth. His eyes were small though and so were his pink lips. He was Asian of course. She knew that by his looks, but then again, she never dared utter a word.

As she got up she took her usual seat, which wasn't really her usual up until a year ago. But now it definitely was. With her purse on her lap, she glances towards his direction. He was there. Wondering in his own world. Erica's eyes shifted from him to his side.
'Who was she?' thought Erica, she  frowned, 'She is beautiful and she is Asian too. Could she be his sister?'

Nevertheless, Erica's stress level leaped high upon the mountains and sat there until she was back at her bus stop, where she watched the bus leave. Three hundred and eighty fifth days, including today she failed to reach out to him again. Erica signs at that thought, as she walks towards her home tired and sad.

The next day, when all her work was done, she gets up in a hurry, declining the coffee offer, his fellow colleague Zach invites for. Zach is a good guy, but she wasn't interested in him.

As every day she waited at the bus stop. 'Today, I will do it' she chants in her head as the bus approaches. Her anxiety level jumps on top of mountains. She climbs on the bus and takes her window seat to the left as she glances at his direction.

'Ay, ay, where is he?' panics Erica.
As for seeing him yesterday with another woman wasn't enough for her torture that he even disappeared today, now her stress leaped toward the clouds.
Frowning, she looked outside the window and thought 'What if I was fast enough, I should have told him earlier. At least ask him out for a coffee. Why didn't I?'. Erica's excuses were directly going to the bin  because they were useless. She lost him to that Asian girl. 'Ah! Why? Why?' Cried Erica inwardly. She didn't even realise what was going on around her, until a hand touched her shoulder gently.

"Excuse me miss." A male voice interrupted her mourning. She turned around and blinked. She blinked again and then pinched her soft sweaty hands. "Are you okay?" he asks again. Erica nodded frantically as her words were swallowed up by the Sahara desert.

The Asian man smiled reassuringly and sat opposite to her. 'Good gracious he is here!' She thought. Now Erica's happiness wasn't in the mood of just leaping, but dancing also. Erika took her time grinning like an idiot and turned to him again. 'Well, well, I don't see any girl there.' Relieved, Erica watched him out of breath. Then she frowned again and thought 'why is he sitting here? is his usual seat not comfortable enough?' without even realising what she was doing she asked him "You don't sit here." he looks at her and smiles which turns into a sheepish grin afterwards.

Erica's eyes go wide realising what she did and she claps her hand over her mouth.
'You little clumsy duck, what did you do!' Erica curses herself inwardly; she begins asking for apologies when he cuts her off.
"I actually wanted to sit with you," he says. Now here, if Erica could go back in the past and somehow alternate her genetics to more of a dark shade, she would have done it in a heartbeat. Because her face was more than red and she knew it. Blushing Erika was like a peeled tomato.

"Are you sure you are okay?" the handsome man asked again.
"Yes yes definitely," rambles Erica. Her crush smiles again and says, "I'm Hyun Ki, but I go by Yen." He says, extending his
hand. Erica watches his hand for a few moments and then shakes it. "I'm Erica," her voice barely noticeable. Yen grins and says "You probably don't know but we actually travel in the same bus, it's been more than a year. But I think you have noticed me, because you knew where I sat usually." Erica's lips form a O and she just nods, 'well well you have no idea how much I know' thinks Erica as Yen continues to chat about what she does and how long has she been travelling in the same bus. Erica being Erica answers everything. Her happiness, still dancing out there in heaven.

Yen's usual place has changed, the same as Erica's did long ago. They fell into a routine of asking about their days and on Fridays when Erica sat alone, traveling back to her home by bus, Yen spent his time with his family having dinner.
Not more than fifteen days and Erica and Yen weren't just meeting as fellow passengers but also as couples, at different restaurant cinemas, beaches and theme parks. Erica's happiness never stops dancing and her anxiety fell off the sky a long time ago. A month turned into four and then a year and in between this when did they tie the knot, the heavenly star knows. Yes, there were days when Yen slept on the couch but there were also days when they both said their sorry and made love as a gift of apology.

As in every romantic story the sweet pinched cries didn't take long to come. Now under the Christmas tree, there were three gift boxes. From the chimney hang three socks, Erica's, Yen's and Kira's.
Till this day Erica thinks, 'What if, I had approached him a little earlier or a what if he never approached me' her as usual, useless thoughts went directly to the garbage as she prepared dinner on a Friday night for her family. Yen's parents were coming over and she cooked lasagna for dinner. The doorbell rang and within a few minutes Yen's  younger sister Hyun-Ae, or say Stella, approached her with a big smile. "Your house smells amazing!" Stella exclaimed as Erica laughs. Turns out Erica's guess was correct and the Asian girl who once traveled with Yen was Stella.

One day out of curiosity when Erica asked about why she was there on the bus that day, Yen threw his head back in laughter before replying, "My sister wanted to see you. Back then she only heard about you, that day she asked me if she could travel with me on the bus so she could see you." Erica laughs too and feels humorous thinking about it still today.

After their dinner was over, grandparents entertained the two year old Kira, when Erica took Yen's hand and went upstairs. "What happened?" Yen asked, worried about Erica.  Shyly Erica hands him the test she took this morning and watches Yen with utter anticipation.
The two blue lines stare back at him as he blinks and looks up at Erica. He had seen these lines before, when they both got the news that Kira was arriving soon. Yen out of complete happiness, swings Erica and they both bloom with joy knowing that in a few months they were going to add a new socks on the chimney.

Years go by and now Erica, who drives her own car, drops Kira off her school and Yuan to his grandparents before going to her work. Everyday she comes back to her home waiting for Yen, who years ago showed enough courage to go up to a fellow passenger and ask her out on a date and today they both chat about their lovely days and still today Erica's happiness dances with joy.

The end.