A Sad Jeepney Love Story

It's not Valentines but there's a love story I want to share. It's not something special but it's something that we witness everyday. Something that we can relate to a sad love story.

 

Image from Philippineplus

It was raining last Thursday when I rode a Jeepney home. The driver and the conductor were still waiting for additional passengers to fill the jeepney. A girl sat on an extension chair between me and the woman on the opposite side. The other side of the extension chair was still vacant. We were all set and the driver was already starting the engine. He's about to drive away and then someone shouted from the outside saying that he'd like to ride too. 

The extension chair was quite far from the door of the jeep so he asked if it could be moved but he never mentioned if it should be moved closer to the door. That time. I wasn't really thinking that much. My mind was blank and it was like it wasn't there with me. I thought the one who asked the chair to be moved is the conductor so when the girl stood, I  glanced a bit to the one who asked and then helped her moved the chair further from the chair. That's when I heard him say... "No..." but it was too late. The jeepney was already running and he had no choice but to come closer.

"Ooppss... I'm s..." I looked up to him.

"Oh, it's you," he said while smiling at me.  I didn't recognize him at first but his voice made me stare for a bit. I couldn't be wrong. It was him. The guy I used to know several years ago. It was him. The guy I used to have a silly feeling with which I only defined on that day. He was the first to have the guts to hold my hand in our prom dance. The first to confess his feeling that I used to make fun with. He's the one I ignored over and over again and then after several years, here he is. Sitting few feet away from me. 

It was awkward that I didn't react anything. I just sat there and looked at the window and never tried to glance at him. I don't know, maybe this is what the strange phenomena that when someone is around wit an old companion, you tend to act like you were the old you and yes my actions whenever he's around is that it's either, I feel awkward or we joke around and punch each other's arm jokingly like brothers and that day, I just felt awkward like things flashbacked. Strange. 

It was crazy and it was the most awkward jeepney ride I ever had my whole life. 30 minutes of jeepney ride can be totally a headache. 30 minutes after, I finally rang the bell. I'm off. I'm home. He was already sitting near the jeepney door when I went out.

And before the jeepney took off, he said "goodbye".

See, it wasn't just a simple awkward jeepney ride. Most love stories are like this. We may not notice it but the long story can be shortened, summarized into a sad and awkward jeepney ride. 

Once in our life we meet some one to whom we'll feel something unexplainable. That's when we ride the jeepney. And although we know that we both have the same feeling with that special someone, we have to end it before it starts. We have to focus on other more important priorities. We have to get off the jeepney.  :-) 

Sad but true...