An unforgettable event

26 April 2007 – Last week of April 2007

Fetching Li Wan from USM, Parit Buntar

Li Wan, my niece, just finished her last examination paper yesterday (Wednesday) and has a long semester break of more than two months. No one in the family was freed to accompany her back home. I volunteered and promised her to take leave to take a morning bus to Parit Buntar to help her to carry her stuff and take an evening bus to come back to Kuala Lumpur together her.

I could only help her to carry the heaviest bag with only one hand because my right wrist was sprained. We had our lunch at Pizza Hut and sat there for 21/2 hours to wait for the 6.00 pm bus.

At last the bus came at 6.15 pm. Oh! I nearly fainted, it was an old bus with the number plate started with “ABX”, which meant it was more than 10 years old. How can an old junk be permitted to use as a long distance express coach? When the journey was just started for 5 minutes, the bus driver stopped in the middle of the road to check on the engine and started and re-started it. Finally the bus moved, but it was so slow that sometimes even a lorry could overtake it.

Oh! I forgot to mention, excluding the Indian driver, all together there were only six passengers, an Indian guy, an Indian couple with their toddler son and both of us. We have nothing to fear but the bus might break down half way at the highway in the middle of the night.

Li Wan, who has never experienced this thing before, was so frightened that her hands were as cold as ice. She kept asking me to pray. I held her hands tight and assured her that God would take care of us. Just imagine, it was so dangerous, an express bus driver kept talking by holding his mobile phone. I have counted, there were about 10 incoming calls before we reached Ipoh.

The bus dragged on and detoured to Ipoh bus station to pick up more passengers. At 9.58 pm, the bus still has not continued its journey to KL. The bus driver was laying down resting in the front seat. I got down and asked the person in-charged. He said sorry mam, there was something wrong with the bus engine and the foreman was on his way. I rushed to the Transnational Express counter to ask whether there was still any seat available for the 10 pm bus to KL. “Yes” was the answered. We acted very fast. My niece and I snatched our bags, rushed down the old junk and rushed up the comfortable Transnational Express coach.

My niece reminded me that we have to thank God for answering our prayer and arranged everything for us just on time. At last we have the peace of mind to sleep now. Just a few minutes after 12 am, we safely arrived at Puduraya Bus Station. I was grateful that I took the trouble to go to Parit Buntar to accompany Li Wan to come home. If not, just imagine, how could she handle such a horrible situation alone with three other Indian passengers? However and whatever it was, was a good experience to her and she had learnt some lessons with me beside her. I think she would appreciate it and will remember it forever.