Isang tagpo sa jeep papuntang Kalayaan Avenue
A few years back, I was riding in front of a jeepney, sitting beside a young girl. During the trip, i gathered that she’s the daughter of the driver. I don’t know why their conversation stuck to me. It went like this:
ANAK: Tay, birthday ko na sa isang linggo, maghanda tayo ha..
TATAY: [lumingon sa anak, walang imik]
ANAK: Tay, debut ko na yon..
The scene was so simple, yet so meaningful. The words were ordinary, yet so very real. For the people outside, that moment was just a few steps worth, or just a minute spent to wait for a ride. But for the girl, waiting for her father’s reply might have been an eternity’s worth. And for the father, it might have been a struggle of finding the right answer or, even of wishing to have the decision made easy for him.
I never knew how he answered, or how his daughter took the reply.
I got off on the next stop.
