I must say that my faith in humanity is restored.

*sniffles*

The unexpected has happened!!!

After 4 months and 5 days of cursings and mutterings from a disgruntled being whose right ankle is permanently clad in a black lethal looking bulky ankle guard, silence and amazement struck on the 17th March’ 2006 at precisely 1700 hrs.

I entered the MRT (mentally rolling my eyes at WHY Singaporeans feel the immense urge to push and shove as if it’s a matter of life and death whether they are the first or second to get onto the MRT). I stared at the ceiling and read some pretty interesting advert about bird poo and whether it was a good day for investment. I smiled at my sister, and then realized that an Indian lady sitting right in front of me was looking at me earnestly.

“Would you like to take a seat?”

“…..! Oh! It’s ok! Thanks a lot!” was my stunned reply. You see, it’s not that I don’t wish to sit down, but in all the four months plus that I had been hobbling around, I have given up the secret wish that some kind soul would offer me a seat. So it was really a major surprise to be offered a seat when I least expected it.

I took the seat in the end, after much nudging from my sister and graciousness on the Indian lady’s part.

I was really really really very touched. It seems like such a nice thing to do! Especially since the MRT was rather crowded and she was not getting off soon. At that point in time, I really wished that nice things would come her way, and that she would just lead a very blessed life. So nice, wasn’t it?! and she wasn’t even one of those youngsters you see who ought to be the first to offer seats to the needier folks; she was a lady in her thirties. Strikes me as very real, un-poser-ish and very open and ready about giving up her seat.

Awwww.

If I was a journalist, I would gladly take down her name and trumpet her act of goodwill to the whole of Singapore. See! This is what people should be doing! Instead of pretending to doze off/hide behind newspapers/look at the floor/stared at you defiantly (which is the worst!).

And I promise myself never to laugh at or encourage any more racist jokes.

Perhaps it was the good example she set, but I have never in my life seen so many seats being given up in one single ride.
A china lady opposite me gave up her seat to an elderly malay granny.

The young Indian girl sitting beside me gave up her seat to the equally elderly friend of the malay granny.

A Chinese ah-soh who earlier on unceremoniously shoved past the throngs to get a seat gave up her seat to a heavily pregnant lady.

What an unbelievable day. *smiles contentedly*