Also on Cowbird
My train pulls into the station. I stand up and walk to the door. A guy crosses me. Head down. The train stops. Train door's locked. Cops outside each door. Holding guns. I watch four black guys who i smiled at earlier start to walk away from the entrance. One among them is a girl. With short hair. She didn't smile back.
I move to the next compartment to see if something was wrong with the door. The rest of the people seem to know or not care about this protocol. They aren't restless. I try to make eye contact so I can ask. Nothing. I can see what's going on at the previous door through the mid-glass.
Cops start to cross me. They've come in through the front. I put the pieces together. This is a movie story-line. None of the cops are black.
The lady cop looks nervous. Two special plainclothes policemen come rushing through, announcing themselves. They return a few minutes later with the most mild looking of the four guys. He is handcuffed but not struggling. He doesn't look defeated either.
It has been 15 slow minutes. I ask the Dutch suit next to me if he knows what's next. He ignores me. He is with a co-suit. His eye is twitching. I wait. I feel bad about being ignored. It crosses my mind that it's because I am brown.
I walk to the door and start to peer out. The cops have left my door. A few stand around the previous door. The platform is bare. Has been cordoned off. About 20 more cops on the platform. All with guns. A group of girls start to laugh inside the train. It distracts me.
This seems serious. I consider dying for a few brief seconds.
I'm not ready yet.
There is commotion in the next compartment. They have the boisterous guy. He was holding a cigarette in his mouth before. Unlit. He is screaming something in Dutch. But not struggling to be free. He is very angry. They ask him to quiet down. His friend with long braids also stands handcuffed.
The train door opens. I walk slowly down the stairs. There is a cop car outside my narrow exit. The two Dutch suits lead. They bend under the plastic red and white tape like barrier. I follow. I smile at the two cops standing there. They look ready.
Some Indonesians stop me to ask me what's going on. I explain what I know. They tell me about the helicopters hovering. This was planned to every detail.
I see them put the braid guy in the cop car outside my exit. And the boisterous one in a bigger van. I wait to see if they have the girl. They don't. I smile.
I cycle home.
My train pulls into the station. I stand up and walk to the door. A guy crosses me. Head down. The train stops. Train door's locked. Cops outside each door. Holding guns. I watch four black guys who i smiled at earlier start to walk away from the entrance. One among them is a girl. With short hair. She didn't smile back.
I move to the next compartment to see if something was wrong with the door. The rest of the people seem to know or not care about this protocol. They aren't restless. I try to make eye contact so I can ask. Nothing. I can see what's going on at the previous door through the mid-glass.
Cops start to cross me. They've come in through the front. I put the pieces together. This is a movie story-line. None of the cops are black.
The lady cop looks nervous. Two special plainclothes policemen come rushing through, announcing themselves. They return a few minutes later with the most mild looking of the four guys. He is handcuffed but not struggling. He doesn't look defeated either.
It has been 15 slow minutes. I ask the Dutch suit next to me if he knows what's next. He ignores me. He is with a co-suit. His eye is twitching. I wait. I feel bad about being ignored. It crosses my mind that it's because I am brown.
I walk to the door and start to peer out. The cops have left my door. A few stand around the previous door. The platform is bare. Has been cordoned off. About 20 more cops on the platform. All with guns. A group of girls start to laugh inside the train. It distracts me.
This seems serious. I consider dying for a few brief seconds.
I'm not ready yet.
There is commotion in the next compartment. They have the boisterous guy. He was holding a cigarette in his mouth before. Unlit. He is screaming something in Dutch. But not struggling to be free. He is very angry. They ask him to quiet down. His friend with long braids also stands handcuffed.
The train door opens. I walk slowly down the stairs. There is a cop car outside my narrow exit. The two Dutch suits lead. They bend under the plastic red and white tape like barrier. I follow. I smile at the two cops standing there. They look ready.
Some Indonesians stop me to ask me what's going on. I explain what I know. They tell me about the helicopters hovering. This was planned to every detail.
I see them put the braid guy in the cop car outside my exit. And the boisterous one in a bigger van. I wait to see if they have the girl. They don't. I smile.
I cycle home.
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