In the barren wilderness, I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop.

The place had used to be the most bustling and flourishing town in the immediate vicinity. However, one day, people had stopped coming round all of a sudden. The indigenous families had since been moving away one after another until it became a no man’s land, with empty towers left, like a ghost town. The bus to the next destination came every four days. Getting out of here on foot in this deserted area was perilous because it was rumored that a horrible gigantic beast was scavenging around for human flesh. It was said that that cannibal beast was the reason why people didn’t come round anymore.

I had been waiting for a long time. Not to my surprise, the bus, known for being behind schedule, was late as usual. So, I kept wating quietly. More and more people came for the bus. All of them found their sitting or standing spots near the bus stop and waited, though no one knew whether it was coming or not.

Everyone was waiting silently and making some eye contact with each other indifferently every so often. After a long time, a young chap that looked like a college boy started clamoring: “How much longer are we supposed to hang in here? I’ll die of wait!” An aged woman taking care of her 10-year old granddaughter said under her breath: “Young man, be patient. The bus will come in the end. I’ve seen many times buses coming and leaving. Though it is behind schedule more often than not, it will come when people are getting out of patience.”

A gentleman in his early 30s looking like a proprietor of a start-up company asked: “Although the buses arrived late in the past, how do you know it is coming this time?” The old woman didn’t answer. A lady next to her dressing like a medical practitioner said: “Even though this one is not coming, the next one will come. It’s just that we have to wait a few more days. A bus will come after all.” A sturdy middle-aged man said courteously: “But the destination the next one will head over may be different from where this coming one is going.” An old man on crutches replied: “Going anywhere is better than staying here.”

The young chap cried out: “What? Another four days? You’d better kill me!” The entrepreneur said: “We might just as well get out of here on foot. Though it is rumored there is a gigantic beast wandering around, it is after all a rumor. Even if it is true, we might luck out.” The doctor asked: “Do you know the way?” As soon as the entrepreneur shook his head, a snarl of rage tinged with an indistinct bloodcurdling shriek came from far. The old man said worriedly: “Did the beast devour the whole bus?” Everyone fell silent.

After another long time, the little girl told her grandma: “I’m hungry.” The grandma took out the last slice of bread from her pocket. No sooner had she finished it than she said: “I’m still hungry!” The doctor asked the little girl to come to her and gave her half of the lunch box she had prepared for herself. The middle-aged man drew out a big box of rice balls and said to everyone: “I’m a big guy but I don’t eat much. Yet, I always get a lot of food prepared. Come share with me everybody!” Everyone rolled out their food for sharing together. There were even leftovers after everyone was full. The entrepreneur thought he was the one who had eaten most, so bantering awkwardly: “It seems we have made the miracle of the five loaves and two fish come true.”

Satiate with food, the young chap, who looked dispirited, was lying motionless on the ground. The doctor examined him and found there was nothing the matter with him. The aged woman said to the boy in a soothing tone: “Young man, why are you saddened? Tell us, maybe we can partake in the worry.” The chap said with a crying face: “I find myself so useless. Hanging around here, not able to get out and doing nothing, I’m just like a good-for-nothing!” The entrepreneur also muttered: “Wait! Wait! Wait! What else can we do other than waiting?” The middle-aged man said: “Waiting’s really intolerable. I’m not a well-educated guy, busying myself with this and that in my ordinary days. Now that I have to wait for such a long time, I’m really not used to it. However, waiting is not necessarily useless.” I suggested: “Let’s talk about the destination we wanted to head over!”

“The living places don’t have to be big, but everyone can really settle down,” said the old man. The doctor said: “I hope the medical system is more humanized, which is also my objective of studying medicine.” The chap said: “I’m a law student. The laws have to be righteous!” The entrepreneur said: “If the business environment is fair and open, we, the employers, will not treat employees badly.” The aged woman said: “I don’t want my granddaughter to get spoon-fed and brainwashed at school.” Her granddaughter responded in agreement: “I wish I had playtime every day.” I said: “If only there was freedom.” Time fleeted when we were chattering on.

At this moment, stirring up a cloud of dust, the bus behind schedule was finally approaching. Yet, we didn’t know whether it was the one we had been waiting for or the one after that.

(Benny Tai Yiu-Ting is a Hong Kong legal scholar and democracy activist.)

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