As usual, she waited for the bus. It was close to 7pm but she decided that she will have dinner at home, instead of eating out.

Loud noises surrounded her. It was normal since she was standing smack in the very center of the chaos in Central Market. But it was part of her daily dosage of drama, she didn’t care. Relieved at the thought of finally being able to reach home, she inched closer to the bus stop.

That was when the terrible sound hit her. The sound of girls laughing…no, cackling like hyenas. She looked to the right and there they were; girls shy of 16 years old, talking loudly and laughing openly. She didn’t have anything against the laughing and talking but…why the need to do so at a very high decibel?

She didn’t remember her schoolmates like that. And their hairstyle, what’s up with that sanggul high up on their head? The last time she saw that was when her auntie gave birth to a baby.

She looked at them, eyes full with sorrow. She knew the name of the school these girls go to, she was supposed to go to that particular school. But she really can’t remember any of her friends from that particular all-girls school like that. It was hideous and a tad insulting to the women of the earth.

Never mind, she thought maybe that the kids were too stressed as the exams are approaching.

The bus arrived and all hell seem to break lose then and there. These girls, who came from an all girls schools that name was quite looked-up upon, became herds of sheep. They forgot how to queue up, never mind the manners. She couldn’t help but smile.

The girls clearly couldn’t behave themselves. It was like going on a bus with a herd of cattles; she said this because the bus will pick a lot of pupils from different schools; all-boys and co-ed but this particular group was the worst. It was totally embarrassing to see one of the girls called one of the guys; supposedly the one that she liked, to come sit next to her. She didn’t want to say what she really thought of that. She knew it wouldn’t do justice.

Time has educated her long enough to see right through these kids. They don’t care about themselves, what will happen to them in the future. She knew this because she met them almost daily on the bus, listening to their loud conversations. School is not really what they think. In fact, it’s a doubt if they think about school at all. Most of the time they will be talking about where to hangout at night. On schooldays.

She shuddered at the thought if maybe, just maybe, this is exactly the things that all schoolchildren are doing. They don’t care about their future but instead, other people cared for them.

Take for example this entry from shazmiey:
“Saya mengenali ramai pelajar SPM. Saya sayang kebanyakan mereka kerana saya tahu mereka ada potensi dan saya cuba sedaya mungkin untuk mencungkil potensi mereka. Cuma mungkin cara saya tidak pernah sama dengan apa yang orang lain fikirkan. Kerana saya bukan fikirkan pencapaian akademik mereka. Saya fikirkan tentang mereka dan apa yang ingin mereka cari.”

How can they have such little care for themselves when teachers are trying so hard to make them realize that :
“Bukan kualiti akademik yang saya mahu banggakan. Saya mahu mereka mengenali diri mereka dan mencari sesuatu yang dinamakan kehidupan yang cemerlang. Saya masih berpegang pada kata-kata saya. Hanya itu barulah mereka boleh mencapai akademik yang cemerlang.”

She hoped that everyone who is studying; in school or not to read this entry from shazmiey. Feel and understand the entry. And realize that it’s wrong to let go of the time when people still care for us.

She stood up, preparing to leave the scene. Amid the noises, she made a mental note to bring her cousins to a bookstore this week.