An elderly man walked toward me, and amidst the crowd I recognised him immediately, mainly due to the fact he was clutching a bunch of toys in his hands. It's hard to describe the toy, but it's a stick-like object with shiny ribbons (or sorts). If you move the shaft up and down, the ribbons spin around in a colourful display. It's a simple device made of plastic and a metal wire, and in his shoulder bag, he had many more.
I recognised the man because almost three years ago, I bought two of the same toys from him. Memories of that day flooded back. My ex visited me in Taiwan, and we had just visited a seaside town and were heading home (or were we heading to the town?) The same man fought the wobbling motion of the metro and hollered as he walked from carriage to carriage. I remember looking at him, a middle-aged man, and noticed that he was blind in one eye. And yet he looked so happy, and was trying to make a living. Nobody seemed to notice him, or perhaps they did not want to. Sometimes people want to look away or pretend not to see because in seeing an unhealthy sense of pity and compassion is evoked. But I did see him. Quietly I got out my wallet and asked him how much the two was. And I bought two, one for my ex, one for me.
I think I've only used the toy one or twice. The rest of the time, it rests on my table collecting dust. And last time I saw, the toy was on my ex's desk together with a bunch of pens and memorabilia from his trips, and collecting dust too.
The man stood by the doorway and tried to brace himself against the motion of the moving train. Yes, it is the same man. I felt the memories and compassion fill my mind.
"How much?" I asked quietly, and got out my wallet. I somehow felt people were watching me in the crowded carriage of the metro. Perhaps they were thinking: "Why is he talking to this strange man?" "Why is he buying this useless toy?"
"Two for a hundred!" the man said joyfully, as he showed me how the device works by shifting the rod up and down, "Buy two! It's well made and very sturdy!"
I took out a hundred NTdollar bill (US$3.30), and handed it to the man.
"Thank you!" he said as he looked at me with his one good eye. He did not seem to change much since I last saw him. I wondered if I was this was first sale of the day, at seven in the morning.
I smiled at him and followed him with my eyes as he continued to fight the motion of the metro and sold his goods.
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