At the traffic lights

A chance encounter with a prisoner

We were speeding away from Colombo towards my home town
as the color lights turned red I stopped and looked around
on the right side of me there stood a prison bus going the other way
it was crowded and seemed running to courts nearby
in the last seat on the right side there stood an old man
with a beard, unkempt hair and a worried look

on my left stood my wife and she also had a look at the bus
she leaned to her right and looked at the old prisoner
'what a pathetic face, he must be very old' she said
she kept staring in to that face a long time

I was no longer looking at him, but watching the traffic lights
to my relief finally it started to turn in to green
I was looking ahead & wife was still staring at the man
soon I passed the bus, travelling towards my destination

I slightly saw her doing a hand gesture and asked her what it was
'I saw tears in his eyes & I waved at him'
'so what did he do then?' I asked
'he smiled and waved back at me'