A gentle soul

On the train recently, I happened to be seated across from a guy who was skinny, had scraggly hair and a couple of tattoos. There was a general wildness about him. He seemed to be one of those who couldn't care less what others thought of him.

I had him pegged as a Mat Rock, till he looked up and stared straight at me. He had the softest looking eyes I have ever seen on a man. It immediately made him seem gentler and at peace with the world. I couldn't help but stare back. It was hypnotic. Even after he looked away, I still felt strangely drawn to him.

And then, (and I'm not making this up), he started sucking his thumb. But it wasn't the kind of thumb sucking that infants and toddlers indulge in. It was weird. He had his thumb in his mouth, while the rest of his fingers stroked his face. He didn't seem to be consciously doing it - in fact he seemed to be in a different world altogether, and didn't seem to realise that people were looking at him.

The guy got off at the next stop, leaving me staring after him. There was just something inexplicably strange about him. He may have been stoned out of his mind, but those eyes ... they haunted me for the rest of the day.

I prefer to think of him as a gentle soul, rather than a stoned addict. It's a lot more heartwarming, don't you think? And that's what the world needs at this moment. More gentle souls.

Till next time, this is Kucing Gatal signing out with a gentle Meow.