MRT reserved seats

Tan plugged in his earphones, trying hard to ignore the stares of other passengers. He tried to close his eyes, pretending to sleep, so as to shield himself from the knives those eyes are throwing at him. In front of him, a pregnant lady stands close to him. He heard someone muttering, but it's drowned out by the music blasting from the earphones. Tan is, afterall, sitting on the reserved seat of the MRT train. It is Tuesday 8:32 am. To be inside an MRT at this time and day is not exactly an enviable position to be in.

Tan pretended to sleep but he failed miserably. Just before his consciousness quietly slipped away to blissful sleep, his last thoughts lingered on the gambling debt that he's trying to resolve. Tan had to work in a fast food chain after school on weekdays and take up tuition assignment over the weekends. He wondered how long he can do this before his body withers away. But no, such thoughts do his family no good at all.

Siew Hua had always been a gambler. She had promised her fiancé that she would quit when they got married. She did keep to her promise. If her love for gambling is great, the love for her husband is greater. She eventually had two children - a boy first and then a girl - and all was well. Until the sudden death of Siew Hua's husband, that is. Then, everything came crumbling down. When her greatest love was forcefully taken from her, she went back to her second love. Tan is Siew Hua's son.

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Min told her family she's pregnant. She's only 20 and still studying. Thoughts of abortion sprang to her mind but it was her brother's insistence that she chose to keep it eventually. And so everyone in the family accepted the new circumstances, especially her brother.

Min had a checkup with the doctor at KK hospital on Tuesday, so she's taking the MRT with her brother. She's into the 4th month, so it's quite a visible bump. A kind gentleman in his 40s, sitting on the reserved seat gave up the seat to her, which she mouthed out the words "thank you" and smiled. After a few minutes, she saw her brother leaning heavily on the handrails, his head between his bent elbows. His knuckles are all white, as if he's holding the handrails for dear life. Occasionally, his legs will buckle, jolting him out of his sleepiness. Her heart softens.

"Kor kor, come. You sit. You're more tired than me"

Min guided her brother down to the seat and stood next to him. Her brother reluctantly but gratefully sank into the seat. He offered to take Min's haversack and put it gently on his lap, before proceeding to take out his earphones.

"Kor kor, still got time. The appointment is at 9 am. You sleep, I'll wake you up when we're near".

But he was already dozing off.