Mga Istoryang Sinauna: Commuter Queen

I miss riding jeepneys. Mostly trikes kasi ang usual public transpo dito sa Dumaguete. Back in my mid-twenties, I was working in Parañaque. So everyday, Mondays to Fridays, kung minsan pati Saturdays, Bulacan to Parañaque ang kino-commute ko -- north to south and south to north. Bus/jeepney-LRT-FX. I had a flexible schedule, so there were times I leave home very early or kung minsan naman I get home very late. 

I was so sleep-deprived that I'd instantly fall asleep once I sit down in the FX, LRT, or jeepney. Minsan, sa harap ako ng jeep nakasakay, and just about 8 kilometers from my home, naisipan kong pang i-bundle up yung windbreaker ko and use it as head cushion...I thought I wouldn't fall asleep because the music was blaring and the gaudy lights were shining so bright. Next thing I know, "Miss, gising na. Nasa terminal na tayo." Haaaaaa??? Buti na lang the driver was on his way home and malapit lang sa amin ang bahay nya. Otherwise, baka pagsakay ko pabalik eh makatulog na naman ako and end up sa Monumento where I started.

I like riding in jeepneys the best because the manner of seating forces you to look at other people, and what better way to while away the time than to study (and speculate/judge?) other people. Iba-ibang klase talaga.

• Merong masungit, kahit anong paabot mo ng pamasahe, deadma. Kung pwede lang akong maging si Lastikman.
•  Merong chikadora, kayang makipagdaldalan kahit kanino. While admittedly madaldal, ayokong may kasabay at kausap sa byahe. I consider it my me-time and the perfect moment to contemplate on existential thoughts. Meganon?!
•  May lovey-dovey. Nagsusubuan pa ng mani, butong-pakwan, butong-kalabasa, itlog ng pugo, shingaling, fish crackers, chicharon, and what-nots. Syempre inggit ako. NBSB pa ako nun eh.
•  Kung may lovey-dovey, may kadiri. Minsan ba naman, may couple, uber-PDA talaga. The guy grinned at me lasciviously, clearly showing off that he was fondling his girlfriend's breast in public. Juskopo. 
•  Kasamahan pa yan ng mga manyak na nanghihimas ng boobs, braso, hita, [insert body part here]. Spell P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C naman.
•  Mawawala ba ang mga nag-ro-rosaryo at novena sa mga byahe? Syempre hindi.
•  May nakasakay naman ako, kadiri. Kumakain ba naman ng lanzones tapos tinatapon sa floor yun balat and seeds. Uggghhh...
•  Merong antukin (*ehem*). Pagdikit ng puwet sa upuan eh tulog agad. Magigising na lang tumutulo na ang laway or leaning on the shoulder of his/her [visibly irritated] seatmate. *Sorry sa mga nasandigan (or natuluan ng laway? eeeewwwwww) ko dati. And thank you na rin.*
• Merong mga babae na mahaba ang buhok na di man lang maisip na itali ang buhok nila, every strand flying to her seatmate's face. Kainez. Sarap sabunutan. Masama pa nyan eh you're wearing your very pretty lip gloss, tapos madidikit sa lips mo yung buhok nya. Kadirrrrssss...
• May mga masipag na estudyante na nag-aaral.
• Of course, may mga mandurukot at holdaper. Thankfully, di ko naranasan yan. Although minsan, sa bus going to Laguna, may nakasakay na akong sindikato. Yung isang group ng lalaki, lahat sila eh nakaupo sa seats na katabi ng aisle, LAHAT SILA AY NAKABUKAKA. Buti na lang nagduda na ako kasi pagpasok ko ng bus nagulat ako sa hitsura nila, kasi nga lahat sila ay nakabukaka. I was thinking, "What's up with that? Are they trying to, uhmmm, aerate their private parts?" Then pagdating nila ng Buendia station, bumaba sila sabay-sabay. Yun pala, kaya sila nakabukaka eh para you'd have trouble maneuvering your way, and all the while, dinudukutan ka na nila. 
• Marami pang iba...

Minsan, I was sitting across a guy -- good looking and neat, mukhang disente. Halos puno na yung jeep, but there was still a space on his side of the jeep. Then may sumakay na girl -- pretty and very modest, parang girl next door. I don't know if he knew her before then or yun ang first time na nakita nya yung girl, pero the moment she stepped in the jeepney, I immediately saw that he had been hit by what Sicilians call the "Thunderbolt." He kept on discreetly (or so he thought) looking at her, who was three seats away. All throughout the time she was in the jeepney, he kept on looking at her. Kung napansin ko, napansin din syempre ng ibang passengers. So ang lolo mo, nagkunwaring tulog, nakasabit ang kamay sa ceiling bars, his head leaning on both his arms, pero huwag ka, pasilip-silip. Nung pumara na yung girl, disappointed yung guy, and as the girl was getting off the jeepney, you can see the longing on the face of the the guy. By that time, I was really rooting for him to gather enough nerve and get off as well and introduce himself. In retrospect, good thing he didn't, kasi, aside from psychos, sino ba ang susunod sa iyo sa madilim na kalsada para lang magpakilala?