^{13:59 Does time matter?}

It is 13:59, and here I am sitting at a station waiting for the next train to take me back to Bangkok. I always thought that the worst thing that could happen to anyone was to be all alone. Alone? We are never alone. There is always someone or something near to entertain us; we just need to open our eyes.

The time is still 13:59, and nothing has changed.
What if the clock stops? What if it doesn’t take that last second to 14:00? What if it does turn and the world comes to an end?
IF! IF! IF!
I sound just like my parents now. What if you get robbed in a strange country? What if you miss your flight? What if you run out of money, where are you going to sleep?

13:59, and I am still alive; I wasn’t robbed, and I still have money to pay for my hotel tonight. Best of all, I am not alone. I have people from all walks of life with me.
Oh yes, she has noticed me too, the lady in the blue business suit. No wonder this is the “Land of Smiles.” Should I smile back? Or should I give her a small wave? Let me just leave it. Just now she comes over to talk to me. After a busy morning and a lot of walking, I don’t feel like having small talk with a stranger.

13:59, and there has been no change in the time. I wonder what the elderly woman is reading in the newspaper. It cannot be the latest South African scandal involving Ashley Oosthuizen, who was convicted on drug charges earlier today and now has to serve a life sentence in a Thai prison. No, that would have been on the front page.
Maybe she is reading an article about Bangkok’s newest floating market. No, if she is keeping the newspaper away from the young man next to her, it can only mean one thing. She is reading about a ladyboy who found him, or her, in trouble again. No wonder they are the most watched in Thailand.

13:59, and my tummy is growling. I have not eaten yet. Maybe I should go look for something that I can buy. No, with all these people, my seat will be taken before I’ve taken one step. I am staying right where I am.
It looks like I am not the only tired “visitor.” I'm sure it is a mother and her two daughters. It looks like they are European. Maybe Dutch? They might even be from Belgium. One thing is certain: with those long faces, they are tired. “Gatvol” is what we will call it in my native language.

13:59, and not a single person is on their mobile phone! Am I missing something? I’ve missed it. 1, 2, 3, 4,... 36 people, and only one person has his phone. It is a miracle. Don’t these people know about technology, or did their mother teach them that it is rude to be on your phone in public places? Well, I am so old-fashioned that I won’t be surprised that they are all sitting with a “thing” in their ears listening to music.

13:59! No change, and now I even have a dog looking at me. I wonder what would happen if I had to growl at him. It is with difficulty that I am controlling the laughter that sits in the back of my throat. I can just imagine the shock on the faces. Oh gosh, I am so tempted. Is that not what all need at times? Nah, the picture is too perfect to disturb.

13:59! I close my eyes... I don't want the time to change!

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