CW: Wrong Bus by Hwee Hean

One gloomy and wet morning, I was on my way to school when I realised that the bus took a wrong turn. Panic-stricken when I knew that I had boarded the wrong bus, I immediately pressed the stop button and got off at the next bus stop. When I got off the air-conditioned bus with my umbrella in hand, my glasses became foggy and I had to wipe them clear before putting them on. After consulting the nearest signboard, I realized that I was a far cry away from my school. I tried to hail a taxi but to no avail in the unabated rain. Finally, after what seemed like twenty minutes, a taxi pulled up by me. Inside was an Indian man who beckoned me onboard. Then the Indian taxi driver said, “Where to, boy?"

I replied fluently in English, "At Rosyth Primary School’s front gate please, sir.”

The taxi driver drove off towards my school and I stared at the meter of the taxi, watching the steadily increase of the price of the journey anxiously as I knew that I only had six dollars in my wallet and did not know if it was enough for the transportation fee for the taxi.

After ten minutes of travelling in the taxi, I saw the bluish color of the school from a close distance away and told the taxi to stop at the entrance of the front gate of my school. The taxi meter luckily stopped at the fare of $6 at the school. Somehow, my predictions were wrong. At the entrance, a tall figure, who was Mr. Raja, stared at me with eyes as red as burning coals and roared at me, "Why didn’t report to do the duty this morning!”

I trembled in my socks when I heard Mr. Raja shout at me. Before giving me the chance to explain my plight, Mr. Raja boomed, "Come with me!”

Without a word, Mr.Raja dragged me towards the Principal’s office by the scruff of my neck.

When I reached the Principal’s office, I saw the slim figure of Mrs Tan, our school’s principal, sitting on a wicker chair. She asked Mr. Raja,” What has this boy done wrongly?”

Mr. Raja told Mrs Tan about the incident that happened because of my laziness. Mrs Tan asked me in her dangerous but sweet voice. "Hwee Hean, why did you report late to school? I told the school during assembly yesterday that if someone does not report to school for duty on time, they will be punished. Do you remember the consequence of not reporting to school on time?”

I stuttered, "Yess, I knooow, it is doinggg the cleaning of the toilets for a week.”

Mrs Tan snapped,” Then, what are you standing there for, get your lazy butt out of my office and into the boy’s toilet with cleaning necessities now!”

I replied,” Yes, Madam,” and I immediately got out of the principal’s room as Mrs Tan would not tolerate pupils who did not know how to listen to her orders and would chase them out of her office with a cane.

I sadly gathered up a mop, scrubbing necessities from the cleaner’s cabinet and began cleaning the toilet slowly. In my heart, I know that I must look out for the correct bus number as I had learnt by the hard way by losing six dollars and having to wash the toilet for a week.