Mamela [Completed]

Drama at the market square

The market square is filled with the sound of endless chattering as marketers and bystanders alike speak with raised tones all competing to be heard.

As I push through the crowded market I make an interesting observation. Some stalls are bright and colorful with a variety of goods on display,ranging from hand-crafted ornaments to traditional medicine. Many people flock to those stalls whose owners are vibrant and persuasive.

Others are dull and grey and bear an almost striking appearance to that of their gloomy owners. These attract no one save the occasional fleas that breed in open markets;not that they count as welcome guests.

At a bus stop adjacent to where I'm standing, I observe as
a conductor retrieves luggage from atop the bus. Meanwhile, a one-legged woman hobbles forward on her crutches from somewhere at the back of the bus.

Just as she makes it to the exit, in steps the conductor and requests the woman to show her bus ticket before dis-embarking. She fumbles in her purse but the ticket is nowhere to be found. It turns out she actually hasn't paid her fare and was hoping to get away with it.

"Excuse me lady but you have not paid for your ticket yet so I cannot let you disembark", says the bus conductor.

He steps aboard and positions himself between the one-legged woman and the exit.

With a tone of arrogance, the woman yells something to the effect:

"Yes! I know I haven't paid but as you can see, I am disabled. Life is really tough for me".

For some reason this provokes the bus conductor to anger.

"Well, you will not leave until you pay. This is a transport service not a charity. Life is tough on everyone", the conductor shouts as he shoves the one-legged woman backwards.

She loses her balance and almost falls.

"Ah! Do you want to kill me? How dare you push me in my condition".

She screams at her attacker as she advances.

Suddenly, there is commotion at the bus stop as a crowd gathers around me curious to catch a glimpse of the unfolding drama. Some of the men in the crowd begin to protest against the conductors' use of force against the woman.

The one-legged woman is volatile and with her right hand raises her wooden crutch and whacks the unsuspecting bus conductor across the jaw.

At this, the angry conductor exclaims "What?!How dare you?".

He raises an open palm as if to slap her.

Quite frankly I'm amused, intrigued. Never before has such a dramatic scenario unfolded before my eyes. But then again, that could be due to the fact that I am an introvert and seldom venture out.

Eventually, the bus driver convinces his colleague- the conductor, to step aside and let the one-legged woman disembark as she is delaying the rest of the journey.

Reluctantly, he complies and the woman hobbles out of the bus, all the while shouting frantically about how she will report the bus conductor to the press.

Mouth agape, I watch in awe as the arrogant bus conductor, who clearly couldn't be bothered by the threats, cusses at the woman as he slams the door shut.