I, Stalker

Yes, it's for real. I tried to stalk someone for 2 days straight.

After the brutal switchboard closing, I dragged myself to the reception desk to chat with the security guard. As a result of my enthusiastic venting, I missed two 129 buses. At 5:20PM I finally bid him good night and walked to the 130 bus stop one block away.

I sat down on the cold bench, looking towards north, the direction of the incoming bus. There she was, walking this way. She is not the pretty-pierce-my-heart type. Yet there's something about her that caught my attention. As I looked towards her direction, she had a faint smile on her face, bowed her head just slightly and walked pass me. She stood about 163cm, not slim and not chubby. She is Asian, her eyes tell me that she's very likely of Japanese heritage. I didn't believe she is a student as she only had a plain reddish canvas hand bag with her and a blue slightly worn-out gap plastic sathcel on the elbow, none of which seemed to have the capacity to hold textbooks or notebooks. She was very plainly dressed, but nonetheless neat and tidy.

The bus screeched to a stop with plenty of seats in the back. I, like always, marched all the way to the back and sat down by the window. She sat right next to the door and had her head turned towards the incoming traffic. It was perfect for me to study her as I was naturally looking in her direction and she was looking away. It must be manner of how she sat that attracted me. She wore canvas sneakers with the heels covered by her dark blue khakis pants, with just enough clearance so they doesn't touch the ground as she stands. Her feet were confidently planted against each other on the rubber surfacing of the bus, either crooked inward nor outward. She had her hands on her hangbag quietly resting on her lap. If I were to use one word to describe it, it had to be "anticipation."

I couldn't help but took glimpses here and there. I was never able to see her eyes-to-eyes, only the contour of the side of her face. She got off the bus at metrotown, the last stop of 130 south-bound. I was supposed to go straight up to skytrain but I paused. It could've been be my last chance to see her again. Why not just make it last a bit longer? I had to make a cash deposit into my account at Superstore anyway...so I stalked her.

So I casually followed her from a distance of 20 steps into the mall. She stuttered in front of a few shops to look through the display windows but never stopped. Eventually, she went a different direction than I did. I got to Superstore, only to find that the only 2 machines they had were out of service. At the time I could've turned back to bus stop, but instead I headed her direction hoping to have one last look at her.

She was waiting in line at MacDonalds. It made me believe that she was living alone here in Canada, otherwise she would've went home for dinner (6PM) or got take out instead. It would've been crossing the line for me to go into MacDonalds so I lingered at the stores nearby. Sadly it was the last I've seen of her that day.

Today I took the 130 at my normal time. It surely was crowded on the bus and I took the last available seat at the back of the bus. My heart trembled when I realize she got on the bus right behind me. I was ready to stand up to yeild the seat to her as she walked towards the back, but she stopped and stood by the door. I couldn't see much of her as the bus got crowed after the school stops. All I could see was her blue canvas sneakers and the blue khakis jeans she wore the day before. As we got off the bus, I had planned to go on another observation mission, but then, being as considerate as I am, I waited until all the standing people were off the bus. By the time I got off, I had already lost track of her.

There I was, stood in the sea of people, pondering where to go next. If God's willing, perhaps I'll see her again tomorrow.

This re-affirmed my understanding of myself once again: I am not shy person at all. I am a quiet person, but never ever shy.