just a thought

GSU library closes at 6:00 PM on Friday. I was there until 5:55 PM and then left for Tech's library. Like yesterday (and unlike usually) I decided to take the westbound train from GSU's marta station and then switch to the northbound train from FivePoints. My get off point was Midtown, which comes after North Avenue.

At the North Avenue station a women wearing a white cardigan got on the train. She looked Indian with her hair dyed brown and tied back. She looked at me with a slight, apathetic smile and took a seat in front of me. She happened to know a guy in yellow jacket, who at first did not notice her. Soon, he started talking to her; rather, asking her everyday questions and she continued to answer all of his question with the same slight and apathetic smile.

Her smile was very forceful, I noticed. It seemed like she didn't want to smile, but was forcing herself. Some of the questions that man in the yellow jacked asked her were as follows:

Q: How are your kids?
A: (smile) Good.

Q: Are you working tomorrow?
A: Yes (smile).

Q: Working seven days a week?!
A: Yes (smile).

Q: How many hours?
A: 74.

Working seven days a week, seventy-four hours a week. Her hours average out to 10+ hours for each day. Doing this for whome? Her kids, I guess. Right now they are probably young, but soon when they get to college they'll want to leave her behind, to live and lead their own lives. Then, she'll probably cry over the thought of "what might have gone wrong?"

Parents live for their kids, and kids for themselves at times.