Intertwined II

Previous story here...

***

Mom, Louie, and I were walking on an overpass; just the usual day, nothing special. We went down the stairs after reaching the other side of the road.

We waited for a little while before we were able to hail a jeepney, and it stopped in front of us. I escorted mom inside, came in, and Louie went in after me. Just when the jeepney was about to accelerate, I saw little hands grip the hand rails on the jeepney’s rear.

Then, a little girl eased her way up, not minding the speed of the jeepney, and took a seat right at the entrance.

She’s barefooted, has soiled clothes, and seems as if it has been a long time since she bathed.

Batang grasa.

“Baba! Bumaba ka dyan!” shouted the driver.

The little girl was unmoved, as if she didn’t hear a thing.

“Sinabi nang bumaba ka dyan eh!”

Then she turned around and shot an angry gaze at the driver, and the driver saw this on his rear view mirror.

“Aba, ikaw pa ang galit? Baba!”

Manong driver slowed down a bit so that the little girl could alight from the jeepney.

            “Baba!”

She turned to me, and gave me a grin. It’s as if she’s up to something no good; I could feel it.

Turns out, my instinct was right.

She jumped from the jeep, and ran across the street, not minding that a speeding bus was coming.

            “Ay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Screams, screeches, silence.

The little girl was run over by the bus.

Under it, her frail body was crushed and the scene was sanguinary.

Gore & blood.

Mom, Louie, and I were shocked.

            “Manong, itigil nyo yung jeep! Kawawa yung bata,” said Louie.

            “Ay, nako, manong… Hayaan nyo siya. Sino ba nagsabing tumawid sya? Eh alam nyang kalsada yun. Di mo kasalanan,” said a woman.

            “Oo nga, tsaka manong, maraming tao dito sa jeep mo oh, male-late na kami,” said another.

            “Tara, manong, andar na,” said a man.

Apathy.

No one seems to care.

What was weird was that time she looked at me and grinned; it’s as if she knew what happened.

It’s as if she planned it.

Then I woke up, panting.

***

“Bat kaya ganyan mga panaginip nyo?” asked Louie while taking a sip of coffee.

“Hindi ko rin alam, bro. Pero ang weird lang,” said I.

“Actually, nanaginip din ako… Weird din…” said Louie.

Then mom asked, “Talaga, anak? Anong napanaginipan mo?”

“Ganito yun…” Louie started.

***to be continued...