From the moment I chose my desired seat freely up to the time the bus left the terminal, I already kept myself busy. Busy in warding off buzzing and non-buzzing mosquitoes one of which thought she was a bee. That’s why those different folks of different strokes who got on board while we were stationary, not one of their faces did register in my mind initially.
Therefore I was shocked upon seeing a familiar face disembarking when we reached the town proper of Tigbauan. Yeah, I said shocked because it was exactly the same fresh face I often saw twenty years ago in “Pasahero Sosyal 1.” She too was a “suki” of the very first prototype of “Sosyal” during its introductory period. And she was always getting off at “Doctors” every morning with her variety of junk food.
For several times I had my eyelids pinched, just to believe what I saw, I quickly seized the moment. I scrutinized her pretty face looking for that unforgettable big mole near both eyes or between. I knew upon seeing it I’d start to believe that the fountain of youth is not a myth indeed. For how could one retain the same beauty and freshness after almost two decades?
When I saw no mole, I did suspect she had it removed through medical operation. Yet, would I blame those youthful curves, porcelain skin and baby face to an anti-ageing lotion? My problem was solved when after her, followed another woman looked a bit older but had still some shades of a stunner. She had the same facial features with the one much younger, except the mole between her glinting eyes, she was every inch her mother.
I remember I was then in my maiden year in the job, and the mother was a senior in nursing course she loved. I knew it because next to the windshield were her books I often saw, including the glaring one its title had the phrase “Iglesia Ni Kristo.” As my eyes followed the mother and daughter as they stepped down the bus holding each other, and walked away like sweet sisters, I couldn’t refrain myself from asking myself: What if I’d followed my previous plan to be a nurse chaser, and granting arguendo I became successful in having her, would we be getting the same daughter, or of lesser aesthetic visual more like her father?
Whatever, I’m certain I wouldn’t mind as I’m not a respecter of persons by any appearance they have. What I was scared of would be if I’d believe what they believe that the Son of Man is not God. And worst of all, I’d be told to isolate myself from eating the “unclean” like the ones crawling under the ocean. Therefore, I compelled myself to give up my heart’s desire to try charming a daughter of Tigbauan.
Besides, at the time, I wasn’t yet in serious search for “The One.” And I was THEN a sucker for “dinugu-an.”
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