things i write on the bus.

a general letter to 20 somethings.

you're afraid.

i get it.

you hate to admit it, but sooner or later, you'd have to. you'll have to come to a point where you must admit that you too, are afraid. afraid of the expectation from your family : how they would love for you to get a job and start earning money to give back to the family once you're done with studies. you're afraid of death. you're afraid of yourself, for setting such ridiculously high expectations for yourself just to make sure you can never reach these goals. you're afraid of society: how it would look at you and judge your jobless self, or the version of yourself who do not own a car, have a girlfriend/boyfriend etc.

you're afraid.

we get it.

but maybe you want to put aside that fear for a bit and take a deep breath. because you know what? it's darn okay to feel this way. once in a long while, we all just wanna curl up into a ball, never leave home so we don't have to look back at the eyes who scrutinize us so judgmentally. we're human. it's part of our DNA to feel fear. even when it seems incredibly nonsensical. your fear of death does not triumph over my fear of cockroaches. there is no 'greater fear', there is only fear itself.

and if you didn't know already, fear is a liar. it's that tiny little voice in your head, your heart, which tells you to stop. give up. drop and roll. leave. never do this ever again. you're not worthy. you're not good enough.

that, my dearest friend. is fear.

we're all afraid.

and you know it.

REVO Penang - the way back

in the darkest night, the bus glides through the highway, with street lights glaring at our faces that seems to move backwards along with everything else. the monstrous vehicle makes rumbling noises, and if you close your eyes and imagine real hard, you may even think it's a train, rushing its way through the train tracks.

you hear whispers. tiny voices that seem to smile and cry. you can hear them, their every emotion.

the road becomes exceptionally dark again, and the moon is up in the sky, lonely. she watches everything like you do. she watches very quietly, from a distance.

you want to tell a soul but they wouldn't understand. only the moon understands your thoughts. only she does.

you think you see lightning but you don't hear a growl that usually follows suit.

you still hear a voice.

and he's still smiling.