The Looks That Wouldn’t Stop
The bus trembled as it traveled down the busy downtown street, where tired workers, parents with kids, and students were all returning home. A young man in a white tank top sat in the back of the bus with his eyes closed and his headphones on. He was slowly swaying to the music. His arms were covered in brilliant tattoos that looked like they were telling stories in the colors and lines on his flesh.
An old woman was sitting not too far away. She had a scarf over her silver hair and held an ancient leather purse in her hands. She glanced at him for a moment, then turned away. But in a few seconds, her eyes went back to the swirls and shapes on his arms. She shook her head and grumbled to herself, as if every gaze confirmed her worst fears about “today’s youth.”
The young man didn’t see it. There was music and a beat all around him. But the whispers were no longer just in her head. A few other individuals on the bus saw her. Some of them raised their eyebrows, while others smiled. Things were clearly growing uncomfortable.
Finally, the woman lost her calm.
The Fight
The bus’s engine was quieter than she was talking.
“What has happened to the young people of today?” she screamed. “Why do you draw such terrible things on your body?” “It’s a shame!”
The young man blinked, took out one earphone, and calmly looked at her.
“Is something wrong, ma’am?” He asked in a kind way.
“Are you bothering me?” she asked with a laugh. “With a body like that, you’ll never get to heaven.” It’s a terrible sin! “How can people who hurt themselves like this live in this world?”
The bus was quiet. People looked around. Some people in the chairs moved around so they could see.
The young man’s face stayed calm. “I haven’t done anything to hurt you. I have the right to choose what I want for my body.
But what he said didn’t help her. They just made her more angry.
Words That Are Hot
She cried, “Young people used to respect their elders!” They didn’t say anything in return. People like you have made things worse. You go around with decorations that look like demons! Your parents would be quite embarrassed. You won’t be able to find a nice wife because of those paintings. “The Lord will punish you by making you walk around this world until you realize what you did wrong!”
She crossed herself and raised her shivering hands, and her voice broke. “May your hands get weak if you hurt your body again.” May every new mark weigh heavily on your soul!
The young man let out a long sigh. He didn’t yell back or argue anymore. He only looked out the window as the city went by. Because he was so quiet, she shook her head harder.
She said, “My blood pressure is going up because of you, rude boy!” loud enough for everyone on the bus to hear. “Thank God I never had kids like you.” “Today, the world is lost!”
People on the bus stared at each other and didn’t know if they should step in. A lot of folks don’t want to talk. The bus kept going.
Then, all of a sudden, everything changed.
The Change That Happened All of a Sudden
The old woman’s hand shot up to her chest. Her lips trembled and her face turned pale as she struggled to breathe.
“Oh, I don’t feel well…” “I can’t breathe,” she replied in a whisper, her voice shaking with dread.
The people on the bus stopped moving but didn’t move. Some people acted like they didn’t see it, while others quickly turned away. People on the bus went from uncomfortable to afraid, but no one did anything.
Only the young man with tattoos.
He pulled off his headphones and got really close to her. His voice was strong and steady, and it could be heard all throughout the car.
“Grandma, I’m a paramedic,” he added in a gentle voice.
The words surprised everyone. The air seemed to stop. The child she had just punished was the only one who knew what to do.
A Different Part of Him
He got up and did something. He moved with skill as he took off her scarf, opened the top of her sweater to let her breathe better, and held her up so she could sit more comfortably.
“Take steady breaths,” he suggested. “Don’t worry.” Don’t become upset.
The bus got quiet while the people watched. His hands were firm, and his voice was soothing. He was nothing like the “rude boy” she had dubbed him a little while ago.
He checked her pulse right away and then pulled out his phone. “She’s having spasms, and her blood pressure isn’t stable,” he told the operator. He spoke clearly, professionally, and with a sense of urgency, but not in a panic.
“Right now, we need an ambulance.” The bus is going east on Route 47, close to the crossroads of Maple and 3rd. The patient is a woman in her 80s who has chest pain and unstable vital signs.
He hung up and stayed right next to her, holding her shivering hand in his inky hand. “Hold on a second, Grandma. The physicians are coming. You’ll be OK. “I’m here.”
Over time, her breathing got steady. Her pale face relaxed with relief, but her eyes showed something else: shock, shame, and even sadness. She wanted to say something, but all she could do was nod her head.
Quiet Thoughts
The sirens got louder when the bus stopped. As soon as they got on board, the paramedics put her on a stretcher. But the woman kept watching the young man as they worked.
The tattoos she had disliked a minute ago didn’t seem to matter now. What mattered was how gentle he was, how wonderful his voice was, and how powerful his hands were.
He carefully put his things away and put his earplugs in his pocket as she was led away. The other people, who had remained silent and not done anything, looked with modest eyes.
At that time, the other people looked large. It was the other people.
The Lesson That Was Not Taught
Later, folks who had seen what happened told their friends and relatives about it in secret. Some individuals thought that day was a lesson in humility for the grandma. Some people thought that the real message was meant for the people who stayed frozen in their chairs, while only the young man she had insulted did something.
It was easy to see the truth. There is no uniform for kindness. There isn’t just one way to be kind. And sometimes the person you hate the most is the one who will aid you the most when you need it.
The woman who is getting older might never look at tattoos the same way again. And maybe, just maybe, some of the individuals on that bus saw things in a new way when they got off.
Because heroes don’t always look like them. They sometimes wear headphones, ride the bus like everyone else, and tell their stories with their skin. And sometimes, those same hands keep your heart beating when it looks like it’s about to quit.
