Story 1. A Ride To Forget

I rode the train. Like everyday, getting a good seat is a hard task to deal with. But I got one nonetheless.

As soon as I have sitted, I scanned my organizer to recollect my mind of the possible questions that the interviewer would probably throw at me. And memorize the answers that I had written the other night. So I would not blow my chances.

During my pondering, I noticed a young lady who was standing at the other side of the train, staring blankly right in my direction. Or so what it seemed to me.

I ignored her.

But the man I am, who could not let a beautiful face just slips away, turned to look at her again. There, the truth hurts. She wasn't really looking at me. The man, in his 20's, beside me was her apple of the eye. I got a little pissed off. Fate hates me, I guessed. But still I gazed at her for a moment, forgetting my questions. It was then that she took a stare to me, smiled at me and back to man again.

I told the man about her obvious fascination. The man obliged. Then he gave me an irritated expression.

"Putcha pare, wala ka bang magawa? (Damn you man, is there nothing you can do?)"

I was apalled.

"Kung gusto mo sa'yo na. Patulan mo! (If you want she's yours. Dig her!)" he continued.

I took another glance at the lady and saw an old woman, in her 50's, sitting just beside her. I thought what he saw was the old one and not the pretty gal. For such, I talked to him again.

"Pare, hindi 'yan ang tinutukoy ko. Yung nakatayo sa tabi ng matanda. Yung maganda. Yung pink ang suot. Yung may nunal sa lower lip. (Man, that's not what i'm talking about. The one who's standing beside that old woman. The pretty one. The one in a pink shirt. The girl with a mole on the lower lip.)" I told him.

What perplexed me was his reaction. The annoyance was gone. What's left was a total disturb.

"Is she wearing a necklace? Yung may heart? (The one with a heart?)" he asked.
I know he was confirming something.


I said yes.

He looked towards the girl's direction. I watched them exchanged smiles. He was a little bitter.

I was silent in bizarre.

The train stopped at the Ayala station. The man stood up wiping his eyes. It puzzled me. What the heck was he's crying for? Then I saw him waved at the girl. He got out. The lady followed him. The next thing that made me shivered was, instead of trailing the door she passed through the passengers and through the wall of the train.

I felt my hair at my nape stood up. Goosebumps burned my skin.

She was a ghost!

I followed her with my eyes. Standing outside, as the door was closing and the train began to move, she uttered a thank you smiling at me.

Whatever the man has got to do with her was still a mystery to me. But what I realized was, i'd just aided a lost soul finds her way home.

When I reached my destination, I hurriedly got out. I never wanted to stay a little longer in that train. Sure I was, that ride was the very first thing I must forget.