UNshackled

 James took in all his words without hesitation, picking a few lessons to learn from.

 Though he wasn't told the full story, the parts he was told gave him a general picture of what the story would be like.

 ' Indeed, in life, everyone has a story to tell. But the number willing to ignore the shame and tell it, especially when their story defines them as a failure, is extremely minuscule. 

 'Most would rather keep it to themselves than share it with their own children, then to talk of an outsider like him ', James thought, stealthily gazing at the driver in a new light. 

 ' He's a good man ' he thought.

 " Thank you very much for the advice, sir " James thanked the driver respectfully. Right now, the respect he harbored towards the driver wasn't as simple as the respect rendered to elders. It was the kind of respect you can only give to someone that you truly look up to.

 " Hahahaha, don't thank me. You don't have to be that serious. I am just a guy with past injuries that has refused to heal, " the driver said.

 James couldn't help but resonate with the driver's emotions. ' If it were me, could I have handled it better ? ' Thought James. 

 He couldn't help but ask himself the question. For someone who had a very good result and got admission without much stress, only to mess it all up and end up as a bus driver, is playing dead the best decision to avoid humiliation.

 James couldn't give himself an answer. Their situations weren't similar, as the driver got into college with a high score while James got in with a slice of grace. They couldn't be compared at all.

 Truthfully, James wasn't sure his parents had high hopes for him, but he couldn't blame them, considering his past.

 ' I must not end up like this ' James proclaimed with determination inwardly. Previously, he had been more focused on the idea that he could finally get a new shot at life, thence he had forgotten the original purpose of college.

 ' Thank God I listened to him, or I might have ignored the significance of college while trying to fix short-term challenges. " Sigh... " , I need to get straight what's important and what's not. I am no longer a child, my decisions have a tendency to affect my future ' James thought solemnly. He again turned to the driver and stared at him greatfully. These few minutes with him had taught a lot that could rival things he had learned in his sixteen years of life.

 " sigh ... " A sigh rang out. " Child, the only thing I can say is, the future is uncertain, but your every action shapes it to a certain extent. Be careful of your decision and try to always think clearly. The moment I saw you, I could tell you were someone with quite a melancholic past. Boy, let it go. Don't let what has happened decide what will happen , as to the best of human knowledge, no future is ever certain. It changes frequently with the decisions and actions you take and the only one that could possibly know it endgame is the supreme being that sits above, watching us all. A past is called a past because it has passed, and a proverb I have learned in my years of life is that the past is history, the future, a mystery, but today is a gift. Make proper use of it. May his mercy, grace and guardiance be upon you, " the driver concluded. 

 " Amen " replied James. " Thank you very much sir " James said with watery eyes.

 The bus suddenly parked. A confused James looked at the driver, wondering why he stopped. 

 He was sure no passenger indicated they wanted to alight the bus now, so he couldn't understand why the bus was parked. 

 " What, have you forgotten your destination? " Said the driver.

 " Destination ? " James still couldn't grasp it.

 " Ohhh, Sorry. I forgot this was your first time here. Fuootuoke is just a few steps away from here. This is where buses drop passengers who are students, as they aren't allowed to go further into the street " the man explained. 

 " Ohhhh, so that's how it is. Thank you for the reminder, Sir " James said as he packed up his things to alight the bus.

 " Remember the things I told you " the driver exclaimed as he alighted.

 " Yes sir, I sure will " replied James with a smile.

 " Alright boy, since that's the case, I think this is goodbye then " the driver said.

 " Yes sir, Goodbye. Hope you find solace somewhere " James replied.

 " Solace, hahahaha, solace, fine then, hope I do find solace somewhere " he said.

 " By the grace of my God, I bless you for your kind words to me in Jesus name" he prayed a bit.

 " Amen " James replied.

 " I think that's enough driver. Let's continue the journey. I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm kind of running late " a voice sounded from one of the passengers at the back seats of the bus. It was like a spark that ignited the discomfort in others, and they joined the complaint trend. 

 Seeing the situation, the driver had no choice but to heed their complaint since they were his customers. With a final whisper of " Goodbye ", he rode away, leaving a teary James behind.

 " Goodbye " he muttered, staring intensely at the departing bus.

 Unknown to him, his actions had attracted a lot of gazes to him. Gazes filled with curiosity stared at James, wondering why a grown-up boy like him would shed tears, even though just a little, in public like that. Wasn't it too embarrassing?

 James, who was still staring at the last point his eyes captured the bus at before it left his range of view, finally noticed the surrounding gazes, but he was strangely calm.

 A tranquil attitude that even he didn't know where it stemmed from grew in him. It was really unlike the usual him, as the usual him would have been extremely embarrassed by this and might even decide to avoid the street for the rest of his life. But right now, he felt no such thing.

 All he felt was pity for the driver and then curiosity. Curiosity for this place called college, which had the capability of making and breaking so many individuals. The final bus stop of formal education. 

 His interest in this place grew to an extent that he felt he might really be able to let go of his past, and look forward to his future while living in the present. 

 Unknowingly, he had put the man's advice to play this soon. But putting it to play and keeping it that way were two different scenarios, and whether he would be able to do the latter remained unknown. After all, just as the driver had said, college was a place of wonders.