As soon as the tricycle came to a stop in front of the university gate, I quickly hopped off.
The driver had barely finished parking when I dug into my wallet, pulled out P15.00, and handed it to him with a grateful smile.
"Thank you," I mouthed, feeling a little shy.
He returned the gesture with a warm nod and a smile before driving off.
I turned on my heels and started making my way toward the gate, where a flood of students greeted me.
The campus was already buzzing with life-groups huddled together, others rushing to their classes.
As I walked further in, the sound of the national anthem suddenly filled the air.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, and I instinctively stepped to the side, my right hand pressing firmly over my heart.
I joined in, singing quietly with reverence. It felt like a moment of unity, the kind that made me appreciate being part of something bigger.
As the last notes of the anthem echoed, my eyes wandered across the campus.
Then, I froze. In front of the engineering building stood someone I immediately recognized.
Was that really Rizal?
He had his back turned, but I knew it was him-his signature black jacket and glasses gave him away.
My heart began to race as a smile tugged at my lips. Even from here, several floors down, he looked so neat, so composed.
His aura was something else.
Just then, he turned around, and panic surged through me.
I quickly averted my gaze, pretending I hadn't been staring.
Oh no, did he notice? My thoughts raced. Come on, stop it! You need to hurry or you'll be late for class!
Without wasting another second, I hurried off, weaving through the crowd as gracefully as I could.
My mind was still racing, replaying the moment over and over.
Embarrassment flooded me, and I couldn't help but chuckle at myself.
What if he saw me?
I shook the thought away and sped up.
By the time I reached our classroom, I was nearly out of breath.
But as I settled into my seat, I couldn't stop thinking about that brief encounter.
Whether he noticed me or not, it didn't matter.
It was just another fleeting moment in the hustle of university life-but one I'd treasure, a tiny thrill in an otherwise ordinary day.
YOU ARE READING
POV
Non-FictionLife often presents itself as a series of hurdles, each one taller than the last. These hurdles, though daunting, are not meant to break us but to shape us into who we are meant to be. It is through our darkest nights that we gain the strength to fa...
