I Will Take Hold of You

Chapter Two

"Other girls don't sit behind the driver, miss," the driver said in a manly voice and seemed to have just woken up.

Isa glanced sharply at the driver. She is annoyed because he might think that she wants to be close to him. "Well, I'm not another girl. I hate to sit in the opposite direction, mister," she said angrily. She didn't need to tell this driver that this was her second ride in another carriage since they moved here. And she first rode in the opposite seat. Except for the fact that she could hardly sit straight because of the dry, hot weather and she could hardly breathe from the men who were smoking.

The driver didn't look at her as he was focused on the front but he smiled sparingly.

"I'll be on my way tomorrow at the same time. You can ride again so you don't have to walk, miss..." the driver said again.

"I don't do tartanilla. Our carriage is in the workshop." She didn't mean to sound arrogant but she was annoyed. Why is this driver talking to her?

They passed two women and a man on the way. The driver took them on. The women rode in front of her. The man sits beside her. Isa was forced to move closer to the driver because the man was fat, and still smelled of tobacco.

She doesn't want to be close to the driver but she doesn't want to be close to the male passenger. The girl frowned even more.

And according to a song, "Yesterday you came my way, and when you smiled at me, in my heart I felt a thrill you see..."

And because she was so close to the driver, she couldn't help but hit his shoulder behind him. She knew the driver didn't mean it but she could feel the friction. It was like a fire flickered in her arm every time it touched the driver.

Isa scolded herself. Why is it that even the driver of this tartanilla, she is being affected?

"Why did you take out your tartanilla, Paolo? Didn't one of your drivers come in?" asked the man on her right.

So, the driver's name is Paolo.

"I'm going to buy some parts in Caloocan, Ka Jose, so I took it out," he answered.

"You're really working hard, Paolo. You want to make money while buying something, huh? There's your Renault Model U, huh, you can use it," interrupts the woman in front of her.

"Are you going to get married, huh?" the other passenger.

"Uhm, not yet," he replied sparingly.

"It's probably like that. You don't take out your tartanilla, ah. You're just too secretive," said the man on the right again.

And it looks like this driver has a girlfriend. Isa seemed to suddenly feel regret. Is it regret? Why?

They were the only ones inside the tartanilla and the driver didn't get on other passengers because it was full. After a while, they were running quietly on the national road.

Isa feels that the man's back is deliberately pressed against her. She wanted to move but it was too tight.

"Please," although her words were emphatic. "You're squeezing me."

"This is a public tartanilla and it's natural for you to be squeezed..." the driver replied weakly but did not turn around.

"It doesn't matter, lady, the driver is handsome and masculine. Did you know, there are so many girls in our town who always want to be next to Paolo..." answered the old woman in front of her, accompanied by the laughter of the other female passenger.

The embarrassed Isa did not answer. After the half-hour, they were at the Balintawak exit. Arriving at Kamatsile, the girl slowly calls for a stop. From there, she can walk. The man on the right got down to give her the way.

The next trip was more difficult because of the extreme heat. Anyway, after a while Isa also arrived.

"Didn't your papa drop you off?" asked Juana, her salesperson.

"His arthritis has caught up with papa again. It's been good since we moved, at least he has only complained about his pain twice," answered Isa who sat down at the table.

Eliza continued placing flowers in the displayed vase when she saw her friend seemed to be daydreaming.

"What does it mean you're dreaming early?"

"Nothing. I just thought of the driver of the tartanilla I took a ride earlier to Avenida Rizal..."

"Why are you even bothering to think about the tartanilla driver?"

"It's a shame, eh? Just a tartanilla driver. Do you know earlier when he stopped me near our house, I was really dumbfounded?"

Juana raised her eyebrows. "And why?"

"For a while, I thought I was seeing a famous actor in person..."

"It's really your imagination, Isa, yes. From then until now, I've been riding tartanillas and trams. But hey, I've never once met a handsome driver. Well, maybe there's something to stop me, but not to the point that you give it a second look. Most of them are... oh I don't want to criticize but you know what I mean." Juana shrugged and arranged the contents of the glass display case.

"Then, I guess you must meet him to believe it. Why don't you come with me when I get home this afternoon and we can go in together tomorrow?"

"That's it! You just want someone to come home with you later because your papa definitely won't be able to pick you up either. Hey, aunty, stop your tricks..." Juana replied laughing.

"It's up to you, I'm just telling you. Anyway, I can always ask Thomas to take me home..." Referring to her boyfriend. Suddenly, she remembered something. "Oh, Juana, I forgot to pay my fare to the tartanilla!"

"That's what happened to people whose mind wanders everywhere. Who I know that usually forgets, Isa, is someone who had anesthesia," laughed the young woman.

"It's embarrassing, I was still angry earlier. It doesn't matter, maybe I'll see that driver tomorrow."

"By the way, check Mrs. Ngo's letter. There is a message that is important to you," reminded Juana.

The driver in question suddenly disappeared from Isa's mind. "Oh, yes, by the way. Take a look at this bouquet I designed, to see if it would suit her and her daughter," she pulled out from the bag what she had stayed up to draw last night.