THE TEXT

By: Samantha Hope A. Sy I felt a strong thrust as I woke. I just realized that the jeep I was riding came to a full stop as it reached a traffic jam. Can t !elie"e that I fell asleep# I could "e missed my stop$ I must ha"e !een really tired from school. %hat I didn t e&pect was to see a total stranger staring right at my face$ He must ha"e realized the shock in my face' he distanced himself immediately and looked away# !ut he was still !eside me in the crowded jeep. He was (uite good looking# and I noticed that he wore our school uniform. I shrugged and looked elsewhere. But a few moments later# I caught him staring again$ I sighed. I took out my phone and started to te&t my friend# Aria. I typed# )*here s a weird guy staring at me at the jeep right now.+ *he second my eyes looked away from my phone# I caught him still staring$ He might ha"e e"en seen what I was te&ting since he looked away again. Since he lo"ed staring# I sighed# and typed once more. %hen he glanced at me again# I directed the screen towards his "iew. He (uizzically looked at me and eyed my phone. I couldn t help !ut giggle slightly# just slightly# when he turned red from em!arrassment when he read what was written. ),ou know# it s rude to stare.+ )I m sorry# miss. It s just that-+ )%ait# is there something on my face.$+ I panicked inside. )/o# no. I- I just found you so !eautiful' I can t help !ut stare at you.+ I was so em!arrassed that my cheeks felt hot$ I don t know if he s just a sua"e talker or he s just making an e&cuse for his rudeness.

I !it my lip and didn t want to talk at all. So I started te&ting again. *hen# I showed it to him. )*hanks for the compliment.+ He smiled warmly and got a small piece of paper and a !all pen from his pocket. *hen# he started scri!!ling something. 0ew moments later# he ga"e the small folded paper to me. *he jeep had another stopo"er and more people s(ueezed themsel"es in. 1h# why does he insist on getting passengers when there s clearly no more space in here. And it feels like we re a !unch of sardines s(uished in a can. *he ride got more uncomforta!le$ /ow I m !umper to !umper with this guy. So# anyway# !ack to the paper he ga"e me. I opened it and read. ),ou seem like a really nice girl# I just want to get to know you# let s !e friends. Here s my num!er 23456&&&&6 &&&+ I looked up at him and I saw an e&pectant look on his face. I took out my phone again and !egan to te&t. 7oments later# he read it. )But I !arely know you.+ )*hat s why we ll get to know.+ He said with a friendly smile. )And !esides# we re practically school mates so it s not like I m a creepy old guy or something.+ *hen# I suddenly realized that the jeep went a !it !eyond my stop and I (uickly yelled# )8ust at the side# sir$+ *he e"ents were too (uick# as soon as the jeep stopped at the corner of the street# I jumped down with my !ag# and the ne&t thing I knew he was gone. *hat was the last time I saw his face. After I reached home# I pondered yet again a!out meeting the (ueer guy on the jeep. I finally decided to gi"e friendship a try. But then# I realized that I lost the piece of paper.

0i"e years later# I just finished early from work and I rode the train home. It was still a !eautiful afternoon !ut I had nothing !etter to do anyway# might as well head home. *he :;* was far from the jeep I used to ride !ack in my college days. It was cool and spacious. *hen# suddenly# I saw a guy sitting across me and he looked really familiar. He wasn t any of my classmates# nor was he one of my friends. %as he an ac(uaintance. But# from where did we meet. %hen. I kept staring at him. I wanted to figure out who he was. %hy was he so familiar. I kept staring. %ow# he s good looking. But do I know him. He kept te&ting on his phone and so his head was down# and I tried to make out his face under his hair. I was shocked when he suddenly looked up to face me# reaching out his phone so that I could see. I was puzzled. He pointed at the phone and I looked. It said# )It s rude to stare# too. ;emem!er# I did the same thing to you fi"e years ago. ,ou ne"er called me# nor sent me a message.+ I gasped. )1h it s you$+ I concluded with surprise. He grinned. )%ell# we meet again$ But hey# you really threw out the piece of paper I ga"e you# didn t you. ,ou really weren t interested to me friends with me.+ )/o# it s not that I wasn t interested$+ I protested. He chuckled. )1h then so are you saying that you were interested !ut not a"aila!le anymore.+

)/o# I am a"aila!le.+ I !lushed and swallowed hard. 7y !reathings hastened and my heart pounded against my chest. )I lost the paper. %hen I got home# I lost it. It s really weird we ne"er met in campus though.+ I e&plained' I must ha"e sounded really apologetic and sad !ecause he (uickly sat !eside me. )But e"en so# I think <od planned us to meet again. I mean# it s more than coincidence# don t you think.+ He asked with a smile. )I suppose.+ I replied. *he door of the train opened and this is where I go down. I stood up# gathered my things and walked to the door. I turned around apologetically and said# )I go down here. Bye.+ But he was !ehind me when the train of the door closed. I was stunned. )%ell# what a coincidence# I go down here# too.+ He said honestly. );eally-.+ I asked# skeptical. ),eah# you !usy.+ He asked. )/o# I ll just !e heading home.+ )%ant to ha"e coffee with me !efore you head home.+ He offered. He smiled and seemed like a really nice guy# now not anymore in our school uniform# now wearing a coat and tie while holding a nice !riefcase. I realized that we kids ha"e all grown into adults. *ime flies too fast. )Sure.+ I smiled as he led the way. END

Author s note: <ot the idea from my jeep ride home from school last August =2# >24=# 0riday# not that any of this happened to me# !ut there s this girl who kept looking at this guy with a nice phone and I had this strange idea. Hope you enjoyed reading$ ?S: 8eep is a uni(ue ?hilippine pu!ic "ehicle.

%ritten on the night of August =4# >24=