One thing I like about my routine escapes to home is the bus trip. Though most of my family and friends wonder how I manage the 10 hour a side trip, I never felt it difficult. Once I learned the trick to sleep in the moving bus, everything was easy. But the trip to home this time, made me, forced me to think again about it. Both up and down journeys…
Friday it was raining in Bangalore. Not heavy at all, but steady and long one. The ill-drained roads flooded in no time. Hardly a kilometer journey from my office to bus-stop took more than 45 minutes. I should have understood the clue and prepared for what lies ahead from that itself…
It was mayhem all the way. The bus which never fails to reach on time every time I was just-on-time days was not on time. I was 20 minutes early that time, just to be sure. And the bus came a whole 3 hours late ! Waiting at the ill-maintained bus stop - no chairs, no proper shelter from the rain and wind, made it more difficult. There was a small boy waiting and he was shivering despite his dad’s over sized jacket covering him. The overflowing drains and damaged road made the bus late. The traffic was horrible, and the driver was too soft on the throttle that he never bothered to move fast, even on empty stretches.
But, home and lovely food by mom made all those frustrating things forget.
Return journey happened on time. And with this high speed AC bus, I planned some sleep in proper bed too. Only till I realize things were planned otherwise… it got a flat tire on way. No big deal, till we realize the bus guys were ill equipped and ill experienced with it. And the shower made things go even slower… I tried to find a positive thing about it and found one – around two hours in a non-moving bus, I was able to sleep well !
Somehow by the time it reached Bangalore, it was 3:30 hours late. And then the ultimate hiccup – the door was jammed ! It was not opening and with the screw driver and spanner slided through the small opening on the top of the door, somebody removed the lock to open the door ! Another 20 mins wasted on road. But it was not home I was coming to. Late to office only made my day, well, more dramatic.
Thinking back, I don’t regret much. Because the 4 days spent at home was worth it
Friday it was raining in Bangalore. Not heavy at all, but steady and long one. The ill-drained roads flooded in no time. Hardly a kilometer journey from my office to bus-stop took more than 45 minutes. I should have understood the clue and prepared for what lies ahead from that itself…
It was mayhem all the way. The bus which never fails to reach on time every time I was just-on-time days was not on time. I was 20 minutes early that time, just to be sure. And the bus came a whole 3 hours late ! Waiting at the ill-maintained bus stop - no chairs, no proper shelter from the rain and wind, made it more difficult. There was a small boy waiting and he was shivering despite his dad’s over sized jacket covering him. The overflowing drains and damaged road made the bus late. The traffic was horrible, and the driver was too soft on the throttle that he never bothered to move fast, even on empty stretches.
But, home and lovely food by mom made all those frustrating things forget.
Return journey happened on time. And with this high speed AC bus, I planned some sleep in proper bed too. Only till I realize things were planned otherwise… it got a flat tire on way. No big deal, till we realize the bus guys were ill equipped and ill experienced with it. And the shower made things go even slower… I tried to find a positive thing about it and found one – around two hours in a non-moving bus, I was able to sleep well !
Somehow by the time it reached Bangalore, it was 3:30 hours late. And then the ultimate hiccup – the door was jammed ! It was not opening and with the screw driver and spanner slided through the small opening on the top of the door, somebody removed the lock to open the door ! Another 20 mins wasted on road. But it was not home I was coming to. Late to office only made my day, well, more dramatic.
Thinking back, I don’t regret much. Because the 4 days spent at home was worth it
