My eardrums vibrated faster than a fine, sturdy guitar string as an influx of overlapping chatter infiltrated my pounding head.
A meandering cobbled pathway squeezed its way between rows of compact stores, while its stonework couldn't be appreciated due to the vast canopy of heads above it. Large floor-to-ceiling windows, showcasing a variety of bits and bobs, were completely curtained by large frivolous hats and bobbing heads. Some heads were much higher up - heads of excited children propped up on the shoulders of their fatigued parents. A slender alleyway, though sparse of trees, water and air was filled to the brim with people trickling in every second, shocking me each time they managed to fit somewhere amongst the hubbub. Large carts on wheels surprisingly weaselled their way through, as the seller pushing it, would monotonously ramble off the same words in a weird accent, “buy my bags and boots today!” A layer of warm, dense, stagnant air settled to the ground as a plethora of shoes shuffled through it.
I saw an insurmountable number and types of shoes. Moccasins, slippers, sneakers, sandals galore. Jet black, cream-white, cherry-red adorned with ember-blue stripes, straps and streaks. I was unable to comprehend which shoe belonged to which person. As soon as I’d look up, it seemed as if the shoes were walking on their own, unassociated with any of those jabbering people whose voices echoed in the occasional “buy my bags and boots today!”
Through the bright orange checkers, green stripes and pink hearts imprinted on clothes, I got brief glimpses of the sidewalk stores that looked as cramped together as we were. I noticed a quaint Chinese restaurant- a glossy, stark red wall bordering a large glass door beside which a tiny traditional cat statue holding a drum hung steady. As soon as I watched the door open, a whiff of a hot and sour soup, fried rice and garlic tantalised my stomach. Beside it, was a pet store, seeming much less bustling than its neighbour.
For 20 minutes I stood in front of the store, the crowd moving 1 millimetre every minute. In that period, the door opened twice, ringing a faint bell that caught my attention every time an owner and their pet walked in. Sporadic barking sounds were dimmed by the rowdy, never-ending chatter of the streets. It was a blur of voices- high pitched and deep with some distinct words popping up ever so often. I could hear the happy chatter of a family, wails and squeals of upset children and spontaneous camera shutter sounds. None of these sounds, however, was comparable to the single glass-shattering scream of a frantic child that somehow managed to silence the entire crowd. “Buy my bags and boots today!” Not long before those 5 seconds of peace were broken.
I was squished between five people each expressing something different, ignoring the fact that I struggled to walk straight. They were like snails- sticky and slow. Each one of them gave off a nasty odour that was subtly cooked together forming a cloud that smelled of muddy socks, beans and mouldy cheese under the blazing hot sun. I looked up into the sky as my only form of escape from the tight situation I was in. I squinted in agony as the sun did a tormenting dance- as if it was teasing me about the vast open space it had in the cloudless blue firmament. How I longed for such space. As I blindly stared off into the spacious sky, trying to forget the discomfort around me, my reveries were broken by a startling, “buy my bags and boots today!”
As the group continued to hobble along, my foot clattered against a camera that someone must’ve dropped. I would’ve picked it up, but couldn’t, for I’d be trodded upon. Every minute longer I stood amongst that crowd, an effervescence of impatience and irritation would bubble inside of me. Completely overwhelmed by the constant shoving and pushing, I began to push back. The sun
relentlessly drenched us all, sticking us closer together like post-its. Deprived of food, water and energy, I was sure that I would pass out, and yet no one would notice nor bother. As another “buy my bags and boots today,” echoed through the streets, my sweaty palms clenched into fists and I gritted my teeth. How much longer could I possibly last?