People Watch

People watch I

Hayase Kenichi
12 Margate Rd #10-04

An Indian boy, 12 years old and is tall for his age dribbles round and round the perimeter of the playground between 2 HDB blocks one evening.

He looks focused, concentrating on every step he takes, making sure that his feet does not get in the way. He just keeps going in circles but what attracts me most is the ball he is bouncing – it is a soccer ball, not an orange basketball.

He dresses simply in white singlet and shorts and is wearing slippers despite running around. No proper shoes for training. His short hair falls into place neatly and the cool atmosphere at night phelps him to sweat less. As I continue to observe, his image is like a silhouette slowing fading into the night. His dark skin identifies himself as a minority in Singapore, though I keep in mind not to stereotype dark-skinned people.

Just behind the carpark less than 2 minutes’ walk away is a huge and spacious basketball court. And further down, there’s a community centre with a court as well. What makes him want to dribble the ball in this playground instead? A basketball court certainly provides a better sport for his lanky figure but he chooses the lonely playground over the company of other players over at the 2 courts.

Shouts from the basketball court destroys the tranquility but not this boy’s focus from his soccer ball. Does he have no desires to join them in a game? What is stopping him from doing so? He probably thinks of the slippers he is wearing as he bounces the ball. Those are no match for the boys who wear Nike and Adidas. His ankles might injure when he jumps, an imperial move to make if he wants to possess the ball. His introvert self wishes not to make new friends and he feels perfectly alright by himself. At ease, dribbling in the night. Enjoying the cool breeze whenever one brushes upon him. Deep down inside, perhaps he hates those boys for possessing the free court for too long. When can he practice his shooting again? He does not want to shoot with a soccer ball and attract stares, not generate humour.

Sitting on a bench at one corner of the playground are 3 other Indian figures – a man in his forties, a woman who looks slightly younger and and little girl barely 5 years old. They watch the Indian boy dribble but he does not make any eye contact nor conversation with them. They might be his father, mother and sister of 7 years younger. The soccer ball in his hands might have been a birthday present from his parents who cannot afford to buy another basketball. Hence, he has to make do with it. His own savings has been spent on food to drive his energy for sports. But why in the first place did they even buy him a soccer ball to bounce? Do they feel that a soccer ball can function as both, or have they been working too much to neglect the boy’s interests? Are both of them his natural parents? Maybe his step father, in wanting to make the boy happy but does not know what he wants, got him a soccer ball. And the boy is now showing him that he likes basketball. And he needs better shoes to be able to play at the court.

The night goes on, and he cotinues to train the basic skill of dribbling. One day, he will outshine those people at the court and dunk his ball into the hoop with pride.

People Watch II

Ng Han Beng Sunny
Blk 280 Toh Guan Rd #08-203

On board bus 74, a tanned man of medium built climbs up to the upper deck. He wears a checkered green shirt and black pants. He slumps his body of 40 years old into the seats, thrusting his backpack into the empty place beside him.

Immediately, he takes out a stack of documents stapled together and begins to go through each piece. Occasionally, he takes a look through the window. Though the evening sights provide nothing but pitch-black surroundings, it takes him away from his work momentarily. Reluctantly, he stares into his documents again.

He continues to be absorbed in his documents until his handphone rings, he answers it promptly. After a quick conversation on his old Nokia model, he slowly turns his attention back to his stack of papers. He looks bored by the wordy pages but has no choice to flip them through. Being bored is part and parcel of his life, something that he has come to learn of a long time ago.

What catches his attention next is Heartlanders on TV Mobile, one of the lousiest show ever made on earth but he likes it. Previously, when Police and Thief was shown, he does not even bother to look at the tiny screen. As Vincent Ng appears on screen as an undercover cop in a gambling den, his tilts his head up slightly. By now, he has his handphone on his lips and is like kissing it. He is anticipating another call but is engrossed in the show.

The next scene depicts Vincent Ng nabbing a criminal at the void deck, and the man reveals a little smile with lips that are still kissing his phone. Earlier scenes show Vincent half naked, engaging in a basketball game with his friend. And this particular commuter might have re-watched Heartlanders for the umpteenth time it has been repeated on TV Mobile and wants to be like Vincent Ng. How he hopes he is that a policeman nabbing criminals or an undercover leading an exciting life. How he longs for a hot body like Vincent’s to attract more opposite sexes, not just sitting next to his rotten backpack.

His phone rings again, and he engages in another conversation with lines like “You want to save lives…ya, build a house in another country…” Every man hopes to be useful and do their part for society. He might be talking about volunteer work, a trip overseas to help the needy people and to discover life for himself again. To help the poor build houses and their happy smiles his reward. Or maybe, he just wants to leave Singapore and adopt another lifestyle.

He is but a lonely sufferer in this economic world who seeks solace in TV dramas, no matter how sucky they are. As long as they take him away into his imaginary world, he is happy. That is the little fantasy that life has to offer not just for him, but every commuter on the roads everyday.