I Was Only Four Stations Away...

 Four Stops, One Big Adventure! 🚇

Just four stations, not very far,
No need for taxi, bus or car.
But somewhere along that little ride,
A surprise was waiting on the other side!

A few years ago, hubby was recovering from eye surgery, so for a while I had no choice but to take the MRT to and from work every day.

Going to work was never a problem.

At 5.35am, I would already be at the MRT station catching the first train. Fresh, awake and ready for the day.

Coming home was a different story.

By then, aunty's battery was usually flashing LOW POWER.

At that time, I was working alone in the office most afternoons. I was the admin staff, while the boss and the rest would somehow... ahem... gradually disappear by late morning.

That's why they used to call me Queen of the Office.

Queen or not, Queen still had to lock the office herself before going home.

One afternoon, I finished work at around 4pm. Hubby called and asked whether I wanted to meet him at the MRT station near home for an early dinner.

Good idea.

Meet around 5pm, have dinner early and beat the dinner crowd.

Perfect plan.

So I boarded the train as usual.

As I was getting nearer to home, hubby called.

“Where are you?”

“Kranji is next.”

“Okay, see you in about 15 minutes. I'm already waiting at the station.”

“Okay!”

Four stations only.

What could possibly go wrong?

I fell asleep.

I have absolutely no idea how long I slept.

The next thing I knew, my handphone was ringing.

“Where are you? I thought only four stations? How come you're not here yet?”

“Huh? Wait ah... let me check.”

I looked up.

NOVENA MRT STATION.

DENG.

“Novena?!”

“What? How on earth did you end up so far away?”

“Hehehe... overslept.”

Never mind. Easy to solve.

I would simply get off, cross over to the other side and take the train back.

“Okay,” hubby said. “I wait.”

So aunty crossed over and boarded the train heading home again.

This time the train was crowded and stuffy.

And it was quite a long ride back.

And aunty was soooo sleepy...

Eventually...

ZZZZZZZZ.

Then came that familiar handphone ringtone again.

“Err... where are you ah? Seems like ages already.”

I opened my eyes and looked up.

ALAMAK. KRANJI?!

“Hehehehehe...”

“Wifey, I don't like that laugh. Where are you now?”

“Honest?”

“Yes.”

“Kranji.”

“So... meaning you overshot the station again?”

“Yah.”

Silence.

“So?”

“I'll cross over and take the train back.”

Sounds familiar, hor?

By now, I had travelled past my station in both directions while poor hubby remained faithfully standing at the MRT station waiting for his missing wife.

This time I knew better.

I boarded the train again.

Only three stations.

NO SITTING. STAND!

And finally — FINALLY — aunty arrived at the correct MRT station.

Hubby was still there.

“Hi...”

I think even I knew that wasn't the moment for a grand entrance.

Hubby looked at me.

“If you came any later, you would see a statue standing here.”

“Wow! Got statue? Take pic, take pic!”

Hubby gave up.

Our clever plan to have an early dinner around 5pm so we could beat the dinner crowd?

We finally ate at around 7pm.

So much for beating the dinner crowd.

We joined them.

After that incident, hubby introduced a new arrangement.

“Next time, call me when you eventually reach the MRT station. Then I'll take the shuttle bus out to meet you.”

Very sensible.

Later, my classmate heard about my little MRT adventure too.

From then on, whenever we met and I took the MRT home, my handphone would receive messages along the way.

Where are you now?

Apparently one husband waiting two hours at an MRT station was enough to convince everybody that aunty could no longer be trusted to travel home unsupervised.

And all because...

I was only four stations away.