Strange Children & Laps

I was on my way home today; I was riding the ‘HealthLine‘ by the way. There were a lot of people in the bus stop; more than normal. A lot of the travelers were women and had children and strollers. This one particular child was in a stroller sitting in front of her mother. I decided to sit down next to the mother and child; something I prefer not to do but I was really sick and not feeling good earlier and I really haven’t recovered much. Anyway, as I was sitting there the little boy just looked at me and stared, I smiled and then looked away. Then suddenly, the child start crying and he began reaching out for me. It was odd but not too odd, usually this is what happens when I’m around children. As odd as that sound, mind you I don’t really like children and I pretty much try to ignore them.

The boy started reaching for me; grabbing my knee that was within reach. The mother started laughing at her son because she knew what he wanted. She turned to me and said “he wants to sit on your lap”. I looked at her and just shook my head and said “I’m glad I’m not the only one your child does that to, usually I have kids wanting to climb on me all of the time like I’m some tree.” then looked away. Mind you, the kid was and I do mean WAS strapped in his stroller, the mother decided to take her son out of the stroller and hand him to me. My immediate thought was “I could be some damn lunatic and you’re going to just hand me your child so he can shut up?”, but I digress.

I took the child and sat him on my lap and continue to ignore him. He stopped screaming and everyone else who witnessed the fiasco thought it was cute, adorable, and funny. I found it to be stressful, annoying, and sweltering. I had on a long sleeved BLACK  shirt, it was almost 90 degrees today, the bus stop was filled with people, I wasn’t feeling too good, and I have a spoiled child, sitting on my lap grinning. I just wanted it to be over with.