| 10:50p |
Lunchbox Guy
If you see someone every day, twice a day, should you speak with them? Should you care about them? Should you make friends with them? I ask myself these questions whenever I seek Nik, a.k.a. Lunchbox Guy. Lunchbox Guy (in case you didn't read the post before last) is this guy who catches my bus to and from work every day. Lunchbox Guy has a Santa Claus figure, pale skin, mousey brown hair and is probably in his early thirties. I call him Lunchbox Guy because every day, he carries this large, clear lunchbox with a single sandwich inside. He does not put this lunchbox in his satchel bag- he nearly always carries it in his hand.
Anyway, I used to really dislike Lunchbox Guy. The first time I ever saw him, he was talking really loud on his mobile. He voice is not overly deep, and it is kind of nasal, plus he has a Norwegian accent. So naturally, I got annoyed. And then, there was the lunchbox. It just really irritated me that he carried his lunchbox in his hand every day. It did not seem practical. Also, I wondered why this sandwich was treated with such reverance. I have tried to see what is in the sandwich, but the sandwich is so thin and flat that it does not reveal its contents. It just looks like butter, or Vegemite. So, why put such a boring sandwich in such a big lunchbox? Not that my own sandwiches are that special, though. I have since realised that my grumpy feelings towards Lunchbox Guy were, in fact, merely a projection of my own feelings towards commuting in general. I am cranky about travelling for so long to work; therefore, I am cranky towards Lunchbox Guy.
However, recently, I have actually started to feel rather affectionate towards Lunchbox Guy. I first noticed these feelings when I started to actually care about him. For example: one day, Lunchbox Guy was holding his lunchbox, newspaper AND umbrella in the one hand, and he dropped them all. I felt really sorry for him. And then another day, his bus ticket wasn't working, and I was concerned that he wouldn't get to work on time. I also realised that Lunchbox Guy has quite a few good qualities. These good qualities are:
1. He always has this little half-smile, as though he is secretly pleased with something, or as though he is very content with his life. This is quite a refreshing thing to see while commuting to work. Most people (myself included) look grumpy and tired.
2. He is always at the bus stop before the bus arrives, so that when I see him, I know for sure that I have not missed the bus.
3. He seems very friendly, because he has struck up a friendship with this other guy at our bus stop.
4. He is from Norway (a fact I picked up from eavesdropping), which is quite exotic to me.
5. He is always using a very old Nokia 5110 mobile phone, which is almost retro.
This week, I have noticed Lunchbox Guy standing closer to me than usual. I think he has been trying to catch my eye and chat. I don't think that he is romantically interested in me; I think that he just wants to make friends. I also don't like him "that way", because hello, I am engaged. Anyway, I don't know what to do about Lunchbox Guy now. I don't really want to talk to him or be friends with him. Because what if he is not a very nice person after all? And then, if I do end up being friends with him, I will have to talk to him every single day, twice a day, about not very nice things. I prefer just spying on him. Like, the other day, he actually carried his lunchbox in a plastic bag with his umbrella. I thought that this was so exciting, so sensational, that I almost sent Geoff a text message about it. Then again, it seems a bit mean to avoid being friends with Lunchbox Guy. I see him so frequently, it is becoming difficult to avoid him.
I think that everyone has these weird, unspoken relationships. One of my friends recently told me a quote from a play: only the most magical people get spoken about. I guess Lunchbox Guy is magical in a way. He is quite intriguing, yet not in a beautiful or glamorous way. I guess I will just keep spying on him for now. I am sure that in his head, he has a funny name for me, too. I just wish I could find out what it is!
Carla Gypsygirl xxx |