a short story
Getting a seat on the bus used to be a random affair; that is, until she missed her usual bus and was forced to take the air conditioned bus Number 48. Arunee used to shuffle her way towards the back after boarding the bus, where the chances of getting a seat were higher by the sheer proportion of seats to passengers; but now she found that she preferred to sit at the front, where she could see the road.
I´m sorry madam, I didn´t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It´s just that after all these years, I feel that I know you already. I have told you things I haven´t told anyone, not a soul.
Since changing to Number 48 several years ago, Arunee found that she was able to-sit for the greater part of the journey, and as a result, was less tired. She had an almost regular seat in the front now, right next to the driver. Although the price of the air conditioned bus was almost double the red buses, she knew she was no longer a young chicken and should not exhaust herself before getting to work. She inhaled less smog as well, although the smell of garlic on some mornings made her stomach churn.