CLOSED EYES

[Closing thoughts on January 19, 2013 at 3:58pm]

While climbing the bus last Wednesday I readied my paperback borrowed from Nong Rey, but decided eventually to close my eyes so tight after taking my seat on my way to the city.

The reason: I had to resist temptation with resolve and determination of a suicide bomber so that the lust of the eyes would not triumph over me concerning a fellow passenger.

Beside me would be an indifferent and careless lady who was closing her eyes too and oblivious to her declining décolleté. A vast portion of her flesh way below her neck was exposed. She must be thankful for those twin covering cups although they too were both loose.

I was also in awe and respect of our next male seatmate who was perspiring heavily, while closing both his eyes likewise on that seat of three. Maybe the man was convinced too that those things others called “assets” were now a “liability” (?), besides, my safe estimate prima facie was the lady would already be not less than a couple of years past seventy.

Perhaps too much exhaustion forced her to fall asleep. And I bet you can imagine what we went through the entire trip. Indifference and carelessness often lead to graver disturbance of other people’s peace. If a situation calls for it, we should not hesitate to discern and do our social responsibilities.

That’s the problem with our society today, if it doesn’t concern them directly, most of the people’s hearts are reigned in by apathy. And when they realized their mistake of not speaking out for or care about something, it was too late already.

Like what happened some time ago when a twenty-something stunning lady, snoring loudly while sleeping and sitting at the rear end of the jeepney, stunned more her puzzled co-passengers therein when they saw her and her left front “asset” exposed from her unbuttoned shirt totally.

Naturally, the male passengers mostly would take a glance at it, the rest wouldn’t look away anymore as they’d find it necessary to fix their sight on the subject. The female passengers didn’t give a care. They were laughing instead as they too did occasionally stare.

But in every moment of crisis, there’s a hero that rises, as they say, and later one fine gentleman boarded the jeepney and sit right in front of the still soundly sleeping lady. And he got the shock of his life, when, after waking her up and pointed a finger on her naked left breast, the woman looked at her lap quickly, then down the road, and shouted: “My baby! Where’s my baby?!!!”