What are you looking for?
Featured Topics
Select a topic to start reading.
In the Philippines, we have public transport jeepneys repurposed from war - most of the thousands of units in use for public transport used to have been used in the military, refurbished.
Yesterday, I was taking a jeep on the way home. I had sat at the very front row, but not next to the driver. It was pretty stuffy at the time, and so I was sort of pushed into the corner of my spot.
Though, I hadn't been more relaxed. I'd felt comfy, I was taking time to rest my mind and eyes while my body relaxed.
Though, I had sworn I've noticed this college girl, in uniform, had been scooching over to my direction. It wasn't wrong to say she had been driving me into the corner, but it wasn't all that bad, I was able to continue resting comfortably.
I had opened my eyes slightly - I started to wonder, and I don't think I was mistaken. A college girl a year or two or three older than me, with her glasses and autumn-blemished hair flowing lightly through the wind was also resting her eyes, letting music through her earphones.
It was then that I also noticed, the space between her and the next passenger was considerable, and yet her legs had been sticking to mine in a way that felt warm to me. "Had she also felt comfortable to rest? But why stick to me..." Is what I thought. Surely, it must have been the constant pulling and pushing as the jeepney geared itself to our destination. It must be so, and as she rested, we both did not care to readjust from our rest.
And yet, I felt her readjust into me - this time, her arms within my body space. Warm, as is the feeling of a fellow person - a gentleness to it as she herself made it to rest comfortably within the space of another. Could this be anything more than a coincidence, I ponder.
Well, I didn't think. I just continued to rest.
My eyelids heavy, but now a sort of comforting relaxation seeps in. My body no more the sense of stiffness from journeying than it is at ease besides this girl who rests in a similar fashion. A sort of... embrace.
I have lost track of time in the long ride. Yet, I felt nothing but calm, and a slight hope for a moment of such to press onwards until the eaves slump over the travelling jeepney's frame.
May she have rested well enough as I did so beside her, within each other's presence. I laugh, I might be over in my head to think were she not bothered by my appearance, and yet it seems nothing of such mattered than it is to just rest...
Farewell, sister. May you be rested well as you embark on your journey again.
Harokou, February 6, 2023.
If you see a comment that is unsupportive or unfriendly, please report it using the flag button.
More Posts
-
I made a story
“Now we never really know what we want in life do we?” said Alice to her friend Mak. Mak then said “not until you're at the edge” they looked at Alice...
-
Well i wrote a story that has TW/LS
MY short story “Now we never really know what we want in life do we?” said Alice to her friend Mak. Mak then said “not until you're at the edg...
This happened yesterday (Philippine Time) as my mother and I had been frustrated as a 1 hour ride or more slowly became a 3 hour own on the way home, and so I decided to rest myself. I'm glad I was able to do so and also the sister next to me was also comfortable enough to lean herself onto me to rest, but I'm afraid my mother wasn't so happy when I decided to take the jeepney over the van, hahah. I hadn't expected this long of a journey, I'm sorry mum.
Times like these are something I favor to experience, a connection between I and another person, whatever it may be. Be it friendship, to even just sharing a space with each other. The value of not being alone in this world, to me, is the greatest treasure. I hope you may all be able to rest yourself every now and so as well, through this exhausting journey called life.
ReplyThis was really nice to read. I visited Philippines a few years ago and remember the jeepneys. They're really cool, festive colours, almost like a party on wheels lol. At least that's how they made me feel. It's nice that you can have short anonymous connections with strangers, then continue on.
ReplyHere in Australia I was once on a train and an Asian girl who sat next to me put her head on my shoulder and slept. Maybe she was from the Philippines.
Reply